Hanuman and Maharashtra

[Michael Rabe]

Forwarded for Andrew Cohen:

> Traditionally, Karnataka is also considered the area for
> the original Kishkindha region. Avani in Kolar District
> of Karnataka  is also a place where Sita brought up both
> Lava & Kusha. The temples in Avani are in very bad shape
> and are in urgent need of maintenance work.

    These temples at Avani, by the way, were built during the Nolamba
dynasty--9-10th centuries (and other later temples are there too, of
course).  If I may humbly add: at this very moment I am doing final
revisions to proofs of my book on Nolamba temples and the Avani
temples and all other Nolamba monuments will be published very soon:
Manohar is publishing the book and it is expected to be available in
early 1998.
    The Laksmanesvara temple at Avani has an unusual iconographic
scheme--mostly "Devis" (for lack of better work, most images do not
have attributes which identify them specifically) and I suggest a
possible reading of the temple in the book (and in an _Artibus Asiae-
article).  Most Nolamba temples are Saiva.  Lakulisa is said to have
been reincarnated (according to epigraph) at the Nolamba capital of
Hemavati (AP).
    Relative to many temples I've visited, the Avani temples are not
in too terrible condition and are maintained by the Karnataka
Archaeology dept.

Andrew Cohen