<p>There are also numerous lesser-known temples that may not find a place in the list, but are equally appealing because of other art forms. Murals and paintings adorning temple walls was one way of encouraging art and religion. An example of a temple with a collection of fine paintings is the Narasimhaswamy temple of Seebi near Tumkur. <br /><br />Located just off the highway NH4 about 20 km beyond Tumkur is the nondescript village of Seebi. Obscured in its quietness is a shrine dedicated to the deity of Narasimhaswamy.<br /><br /> If not for the few devotees who come to worship and the crowd during the annual fair in February, hardly anyone else visits the village. It is difficult to imagine that such a simple town once existed during the days of Vijayanagar kings. The ancient name of Harihararayapura was in fact named after the son of Bukkaraya. Over the years, the village went into oblivion and the area became a jungle where wild animals roamed. It was only during the latter part of the 18th century that the place and the temple gained some significance. </p>.<p>Known in those days as Sibur, the town of Seebi came into prominence during the period of Kacheri Krishnappa, the dewan of Mysore by virtue of his royal connection. Nallappa, his eldest son continued the tradition serving as a revenue officer during the regime of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan and earned the title of Karnik. He and his two brothers, Puttappa and Lakshminarasappa, were the ones who built the present temple in memory of their father. According to mythology, the whole area surrounding Seebi was a dense jungle. <br /><br />One day, a merchant passing through with bags of rice and grain had to camp overnight in the forest. He used the stones lying there to cook rice. But he was aghast to see that the rice had turned blood red and he fainted. When he regained his senses, he heard a celestial voice telling him that the very stone used for cooking was the idol of Lord Narasimha. The voice ordained him to build a temple for the god there. The merchant built a small shrine around the stone and went away. Karnik Nallappa and his brothers realised the significance of the temple and built a fine structure (between 1795 and 1811). Outside the temple is a tank called Gajagundala. <br /><br />Adornments on the temple’s walls<br /><br />The temple does not boast of any distinct architectural style, but the high entrance tower is well adorned with images. The inside of the cloister has a series of pink coloured niches with stucco images of various forms of Narasimha. <br /><br />There are also other gods but one enclosure has the images of Alamelamma and Kacheri Krishnappa the parents of Nallappa too. But what steals the show here is the collection of beautiful murals on the ceilings. Many of the paintings relate to the epics Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavatha. The regal scenes are impressive too but the presence of kings Krishnaraja Wodeyar, Hyder Ali and Tipu intrigue as to the date of the paintings. There is no record about the artists who created these intricate works of art. </p>
<p>There are also numerous lesser-known temples that may not find a place in the list, but are equally appealing because of other art forms. Murals and paintings adorning temple walls was one way of encouraging art and religion. An example of a temple with a collection of fine paintings is the Narasimhaswamy temple of Seebi near Tumkur. <br /><br />Located just off the highway NH4 about 20 km beyond Tumkur is the nondescript village of Seebi. Obscured in its quietness is a shrine dedicated to the deity of Narasimhaswamy.<br /><br /> If not for the few devotees who come to worship and the crowd during the annual fair in February, hardly anyone else visits the village. It is difficult to imagine that such a simple town once existed during the days of Vijayanagar kings. The ancient name of Harihararayapura was in fact named after the son of Bukkaraya. Over the years, the village went into oblivion and the area became a jungle where wild animals roamed. It was only during the latter part of the 18th century that the place and the temple gained some significance. </p>.<p>Known in those days as Sibur, the town of Seebi came into prominence during the period of Kacheri Krishnappa, the dewan of Mysore by virtue of his royal connection. Nallappa, his eldest son continued the tradition serving as a revenue officer during the regime of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan and earned the title of Karnik. He and his two brothers, Puttappa and Lakshminarasappa, were the ones who built the present temple in memory of their father. According to mythology, the whole area surrounding Seebi was a dense jungle. <br /><br />One day, a merchant passing through with bags of rice and grain had to camp overnight in the forest. He used the stones lying there to cook rice. But he was aghast to see that the rice had turned blood red and he fainted. When he regained his senses, he heard a celestial voice telling him that the very stone used for cooking was the idol of Lord Narasimha. The voice ordained him to build a temple for the god there. The merchant built a small shrine around the stone and went away. Karnik Nallappa and his brothers realised the significance of the temple and built a fine structure (between 1795 and 1811). Outside the temple is a tank called Gajagundala. <br /><br />Adornments on the temple’s walls<br /><br />The temple does not boast of any distinct architectural style, but the high entrance tower is well adorned with images. The inside of the cloister has a series of pink coloured niches with stucco images of various forms of Narasimha. <br /><br />There are also other gods but one enclosure has the images of Alamelamma and Kacheri Krishnappa the parents of Nallappa too. But what steals the show here is the collection of beautiful murals on the ceilings. Many of the paintings relate to the epics Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavatha. The regal scenes are impressive too but the presence of kings Krishnaraja Wodeyar, Hyder Ali and Tipu intrigue as to the date of the paintings. There is no record about the artists who created these intricate works of art. </p>
