Kalyani Chalukyan temples (original) (raw)

The Badami Chalukyas were exponents of early architectural achievements in Deccan. Aihole, Badami andPattadakal were their centers of art. They were succeeded by the Rashtrakutas and the Kalyani Chalukyas.

The Gadag art style marked by ornate columns originated during the period of the Kalyani Chalukya king Someswara I, and it flourished for a period of 150 years (1050 to 1200 CE) during which about 50 temples were built.

The Trikuteshwara Shiva temple at Gadag at a distance of 75 km from Dharwar boasts of ornate pillars with intricate sculpture. The sanctum enshrines three Shivalingams. The temple has beautifully chiseled stone screens and carved figurines.

There is a shrine to Saraswati within the Trikuteshwara temple complex, with exquite stone columns.

Other temples in Gadag are those dedicated to Someshwara and Veera Narayana.

Lakkundi located at a distance of 13 km from Gadag has several temples in the Kalyani Chalukyan idiom.

The Kasi Visweswara temple has shrines to Shiva and Surya. It is an exquisitely decorated temple with chiseled stone screens and intricate carvings. Surya is portrated as Suryanarayana on a throne, with the seven horses of the sun God engraved on it.

There is also a Jain temple dedicated to Mahavira at Lakkundi.

Dambala is located at a distance of 20 km south east of Gadag, past Lakkundi. The Doddabasappa temple here dedicated to Shiva is beautifully concieved and built on a polygonal stellar shape. It is full of intricately carved pillars. The door steps of this temple are beautifully decorated. There is also a Taradevi temple in the Buddhist idiom at Dambala.

Annigeri is located 20 km west of Gadag enroute to Hubli. It houses a Kalyani Chalukyan temple to Amriteswara - Shiva. This temple is built of black stone. Seventy six columns support the temple filled with sculpture. Many other temples are also seen at Annigeri.

Itgi in Raichur district, to the east of Dharwar district is home to the Mahadeva temple dating back to the Kalyani Chalukyan king Vikramaditya (1076 - 1127 CE). It is considered to be the best specimen of Kalyani Chalukyan art. As with temples built in this idiom it has as many as 68 decorated pillars, an ornate tower and a doorway of great workmanship.

Kuknur, located at a distance of 7 km from Itgi (above) and 40 km from Hospet (the nearest railhead for Hampi), bears temples from the Chalukyan and the earlier Rashtrakoota periods. The Mallikarjuna and the Kalleswara temples here are from the Chalukyan period while the Navalinga temples with nine sancta each enshrining a Shivalingam is from the Rashtrakoota period. There is also a temple to Mahamaya - a tantric goddess at Kuknur.

Lakshmeswar is located south east of Hubli and is home to the Someshwara temple which is dated back to the 11th - 12th centuries.

Bankapura is located at a distance of 60km from Hubli. The town dates back to the period of the Rashtrakootas. (Amoghavarsha I - mid ninth century CE). The Siddheshwara and Ranganatha Nagareshwara are the temples of interest here, the latter has intricately carved ceilings and a set of 60 carved gray stone pillars.

Hirekerur is located at the southern end of the Dharwar area near Shimoga. It has Kalayani Chalukya temples dedicated to Janardana, Durga and Totada Veeranna.