Ramalingeshwara Group of Temples, Avani

The Ramalingeshwara group of temples stands in Avani, Kolar district, a place mentioned in an inscription of 399 AD and later called the Gaya of the south. Legend makes Avani the home of the sage Valmiki and says Rama stopped here on his way back from Lanka, with his sons Lava and Kusha born on a hill nearby. The ASI describes the temples as ornate Nolamba work of the 10th century, partly renovated by the Cholas, with the main mandapa and rajagopuram added by the Vijayanagara kings.

Inside the walled enclosure are four main shrines, for Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna, plus smaller ones including shrines to Vali and Sugriva. The art historian James Harle thought the Shatrughna shrine, linked to a Western Ganga inscription, may be the oldest here, and saw the group as the earliest walled cluster of shrines in Karnataka. The Rama temple has a sanctum, vestibule and a hall of decorated pillars. It is a Monument of National Importance.