They came, they stayed, others built, all in one night. That could be the condensed history of Aivarakandapura, a little village some 8 km from Hesarghatta. Set in a region that abounds with Mahabharata lore, Aivarakandapura's set of temples associated with the Pandavas stands out for its quaint legends and the intriguing possibility of links to an even more distant past.

The region around Hesarghatta has many places that claim associations with the Mahabharata. Hesarghatta itself is said to have been originally known as Vyasa-ghatta, or the place where Vyasa used to live. A few kilometers away is a cave called Vyasa-guha where Vyasa is supposed to have prayed for many years. Locals will also show you Bhima's footprints imprinted in some rocks nearby.

The village of Aivarakandapura is also intimately associated with the Mahabharata. Legend has it that the Pandavas visited and spent a night here, hence its name, which means "the village seen by the five". The Pandavas are said to have installed lingas here to worship during their one-night halt. About a thousand years ago, when this region was under their rule, the Cholas built temples in Aivarakandapura in memory of this event. Popular tradition has it that because the Pandavas stayed only one night, the temples were also constructed in one night.

Situated on some high ground next to a now-dry lake, the temple complex has small shrines named after Dharmaraya, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, and their mother Kunti. Each little granite shrine houses a linga, some also have a Nandi. The complex also has a navagruha shrine. But what about Bhima? J S Gowda, a village leader, and Manjunath, a native of Aivarakandapura who works as a software engineer in Bangalore, enlightened us. The story goes that Bhima was late for the mahamangalarati that was held when the Pandavas were here. He hung back on a little hillock about a 100 m away from the main temple complex, because of which the shrine bearing his name was built there. Like the others, this too has a little linga, but it also has a large Nandi outside it. With their simple one-room design and minimal ornamentation, the antiquity of all the shrines is palpable.
Near the entrance of the temple site is a stone inscription in old Tamil which Dr H S Gopala Rao, General Secretary, Karnataka Itihasa Academy, dates to the time of Rajaraja Chola. According to him, the Dharmaraya temple is a Chola period structure, while the other little shrines are later additions, possibly of the 15th century. But Dr Rao raises the exciting possibility that the site may actually be considerably older than it appears. According to him, the temples have been built on a megalithic burial site.

"Sites associated with the Pandavas in Karnataka are very often megalithic burial sites, dating back to between 800 and 500 BC. Excavation of the mound or platform on which these temples are built may yield interesting finds," he says intriguingly.

In marked contrast to the simplicity of the ancient shrines is another building in the complex, the Kalabhairava temple. The old structure that stood here was demolished and a new one erected in its place a few years ago, brightly painted. The impulse behind the new construction was perhaps the state of disrepair of the old temples. But Krupa Rajangam, a heritage conservation architect and INTACH advisor, feels a major problem is attitude: "We have to change our mentality that sees everything new as good, and instead be able to perceive that something old with the patina of age on it is also beautiful." Sadly, if the existing ancient temples go the way of the Kalabhairava temple, the future is neither pretty nor tasteful.

Clearly though the five remaining ancient stone structures need restoration. Elaborates Rajangam, "There appears to be water seepage, mainly due to the recent masonry parapets built on top of the shrines which are causing water stagnation on the roofs of the shrines."

Subsidence is also an issue, with stones in the surface of the mound that the temples are built on giving way in several places. The Dharmeswara temple already has buttresses supporting two of the walls to prevent collapse.
But with input from conservation professionals, the existing historic shrines could be intelligently and sensitively restored. Ramkumar C B, who runs Our Native Village, an eco-resort about 6 km away from Hesarghatta, has a passionate interest in Aivarakandapura's old temples. Keen on preserving and restoring them, he has recently commissioned an assessment and technical report on the site from INTACH, and strongly feels that any endeavour here should be "a completely collaborative effort" amongst corporates, historians and interested citizens.

With the Nrityagram dance complex, the Taj Group's Kuteeram resort and Ramkumar's eco-resort in the neighbourhood, a sensitive restoration of these temples has the potential to attract many visitors to Aivarakandapura. Rajangam points out that even basic site management including putting up informational plaques could very easily enhance a visitor's experience of these unique temples.

As Manjunath says, "We go all the way to Belur and Halebid, but don't know the value of history in our own town." Concurs Ramkumar, "Not every monument can aspire to be a Hampi or a Taj Mahal, but how often do we come across a 10th century site? The Aivarakandapura temples deserve attention."

Readers interested in getting involved in the restoration of Aivarakandapura's temples can contact Ramkumar: 98809 99925.