Famous Temples in India

Architecture

Both the temples are sculpted in the non-ornate style of Hoysala architecture and are located side by side in a single compound.

Mallikarjuna Temple - The Mallikarjuna Temple is larger of the two and houses a flat linga. The Mallikarjuna Temple on plan has a garbhagriha, sukanasiand a mukhamandapa. The mukhamandapa has entrances from North, East and West. The pillars in the mukhamandapa are well polished, lathe turned and multi fluted. The niches in the mukhamandapa accommodate beautiful sculptures of Saptamatrikas, Ganesha, Mahishamardini and Umamahesvara of Hoysala workmanship. The superstructure over the garbhagriha is of Kadamba Nagara type. The temple has been built on star shaped plinth and the roofs are also of star shape.

Ramesvara Temple - Rameshwara Temple, located on the south side of Mallikarjuna Temple, is also known as Sadashiva Temple. Following an oblong design, the temple includes a sanctum sanctorum that is directly connected to a navaranga and is conspicuously absent of a mukhamantapa and sukanasi. The temple also has a narrow circumambulation path or the pradakshinapatha that makes for an interesting observation as this is very rare and atypical of Hoysala architectural style. The pillars of navaranga too are well polished and possess finely lathed structures. The sanctum sanctorum houses a Shivalinga. The shikhara has the prominent Hoysala emblem sitting atop a resplendent Nataraja statue. One can also find several stone epigraphs describing the grants awarded for the shrine’s construction. A nagarakatte is also found inside the compound.