Sasivekalu Ganesha Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Jindal Vijayanagar Airport at Vidyanagar is listed among the nearest airports.

• By train

  Hospet Junction is listed as the nearest railway station.

Why devotees come here

Sasivekalu Ganesha Temple stands among the monuments on the Hemakuta hill, in Hampi, Karnataka. Its main image is a Ganesha, about 8 feet tall, carved from a single block of rock. Legend says the temple's name means mustard seed, after the shape of his belly.

Sasivekalu Ganesha is one of two monolithic Ganesha statues on the Hemakuta hill. The other is the Kadalekalu Ganesha, a short walk north. The statue was carved in place, out of the rock that already stood on the site. It has four arms and sits in a half-lotus position. The statue is about 8 feet tall.

Legend says Ganesha once overate, and his stomach swelled dangerously. Another legend says his belly looks like a mustard seed. That is how the temple got its name, since Sasivekalu means mustard seed in Kannada. Both stories are told as legend, not as recorded history.

An inscription on the grounds shows the shrine was built to honour King Narasimha II of the Vijayanagara Empire. Ganesha is shown with his mother Parvati, and he sits in her lap. She can be seen only from the back of the statue. The Ganesha is housed in an open-pillared hall, called a mandapa.

Tips for your visit

• A large site map of Hampi, provided by the Archaeology Department, stands in front of the shrine.
• The Kadalekalu Ganesha is a short walk north of this statue.
• The Vishnupada shrine is south of this statue.

Questions people ask