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Balipīṭham

A Balipītha is an offering pedestals found in between the main porch and the Dwajastambha of a Dravidian style temple.

Usually single, sometimes multiple, these are meant to keep the Bali (offerings) made to the god so that different creatures like birds and animals, who are also believed to be the part of God's creation eat them.

The offerings made on these pedestals- Balivishtara are exclusively for the animal world and are never consumed by the human beings.

Humans only consume the very same offering made to god in the sanctum as Prāsadam (considered as the left over of the food offered to the God).

In Vedic times, the food intended for offering to God, was offered into the fire altar (to the fire God Agni)- as Havis.
As time passed on, worship of Gods in the form of images, installed in the sanctum gained prominence & the worship through sacrifices, was gradually dispensed with.
As fire is no longer used, all the offerings are placed before the god through chanting of suitable hymns.

Balipīthas are seen both in front of the main shrine and also Parivārālayas (subsidiary shrines)- called as Pradhana Balipītha & Upa Balipīthas.

Balipīthas may be simple, small, decorated or undecorated- in square, circular, rectangular or octagonal in plan- with height ranging from three to six feet.

They may be monolithic or masonry in nature. They also have Adhísthāna, similar to the main temple.
On the top they have an inverted lotus with scalloped lotus petals. To its top, there will be a small circular, flat surface to place the Bali.

It appears that the practice of constructing these Balipīthas began from the Vijayanagara period. Early temples of the Chalukyas or the do not have Balipīthas in their temple premises.

Below is the image of a square shaped Pradhana Balipīṭha seen in front of the main shrine of Yadava era Chennakesava Temple, Gundloor village, Kalikiri mandal, , .
Initially built by the Yadava King Veera Narasinga Deva Yadavaraya in 1167 AD, it later got many significant additions by the .

Balipīṭham a classic Vijayanagara element was added to the temple complex later on mostly during the reign of Saluva Nārasiṃha Devā Rayā.

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Ādityahṛdayam

Nama Suryaya Santaya Sarvaroga Nivarine ||
Ayu rarogya maisvairyam dehi devah jagatpate ||

Oh! Lord Surya, ruler of the universe, you are the remover of all diseases, the repository of peace
I bow to you. May you bless your devotees with longevity, health and wealth !!

Ādityahṛdayam is a devotional hymn of 31 slokas, dedicated to Āditya or Sūrya (the Sun God) found in the Yuddha Kānda of Vālmīki's Rāmāyana. In this, Sage Agastya recites the procedure of worshiping Āditya to Rāma in the battlefield for strength to defeat his enemy Rāvana.

Below is a sculpture of Sūrya found in the Sabha mandapa of 13th CE Yadava era Śrī Kāmākśi Vaidyanātheswara Swamy temple at Pushpagiri temple complex, , , .

Sūrya is Iconographically depicted with two lotuses in his two hands. The Lotus is one flower that blooms upon the morning’s first rays of sunlight.
Similarly, the Hindu concept expounded through the symbolism of Sūrya, is that God is the Sun that triggers man, a lotus, to blossom.

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