Famous Temples in India

Architecture

The temple has a deity in the name of his father "Malikarjuna". This temple faces in East direction and the kalyani (Tank) in the name of Harihara nayaka Mother "Gujjave". To the east of the temple stands a sixteen feet high pillar, on top of which was a figure of a female and beautiful carved flowery designs on the roof and pillars. This temple was constructed some part using Soap stone.

Garbha Gudi - The temple is constructed on a raised jagati (platform). The temple is a three shrined plan ,one each on north, south and west . the central shrine has a tower on the top,The adjacent shrines do not have a tower ,The top of the temple has an emblem of a Sala killing a lion which is a part of the Hoysala architecture. The shikhara (tower) of the temple is a three-tier structure and it is well embellished on all sides with images and various other motifs. The ceiling is beautifully decorated with a lotus design.

Mandapams - All the three shrines here are internally allied by a mantapa. Consists of a Nandi-mandapa, navaranga and antarala or sukanasi. Only the main sanctum, in the west, is provided with antarala (vestibule), the rests directly opens into the common mandapa (navaranga). The central ceiling of this mandapa has ashta-dikpalas. In front of it is a projection, sukanasi, on the top of which is standing the Hoysala crest, Sala slaying a tiger.

Temple Walls - At the bottom of the temple lies six pattikas, the base are the six equal width rectangular moldings (frieze). Starting from the top, the friezes depict hansa (birds) in the first frieze, makara (aquatic monsters) in the second (though often interrupted with kirtimukhas in this temple), epics and other stories in the third (which in this case is from the Hindu epic Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and stories of Krishna), lions in the fourth (instead of the more commonly seen leafy scrolls), horses in the fifth and elephants at the bottom. At the entrance to the hall are elephant balustrades The images on the external walls, some interesting ones are sixteen-handed Shiva, Durga with twenty-hands, Mahishasuramardini, Vitthala, Surya-Narayana, Shiva as Tripurantaka, Gajasamharamurti, Arjun, Hayagriva, Krishna, Vamana story and Ravana-anugraha-murti ,Goddess Saraswati both in the dancing posture. Other attractions of the temple include images of Arjuna shooting the fish, Draupadi rushing forth with garland, Gajasura Mardana and Ravana lifting the Kailasa.

Decoration and sculptures - The decorative plan of the walls of the shrines and the mantapa (hall) is of the "new kind", with two eaves that run around the temple. The wall panel images have the same quality of workmanship seen in the more famous temples at Belur and Halebidu, though the images are smaller and simpler. In the "new kind" of decorative articulation, the first heavy eaves runs below the superstructure and all around the temple with a projection of about half a meter. The second eaves runs around the temple about a meter below the first. Between the two eaves are the miniature decorative towers (Aedicula) on pilasters. Below the second eaves are the wall panel of images of Hindu deities and their attendants in relief. Below this, at the base are the six equal width rectangular moldings (frieze). Starting from the top, the friezes depict hansa (birds) in the first frieze, makara (aquatic monsters) in the second (though often interrupted with kirtimukhas in this temple), epics and other stories in the third (which in this case is from the Hindu epic Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and stories of Krishna), lions in the fourth (instead of the more commonly seen leafy scrolls), horses in the fifth and elephants at the bottom. At the entrance to the hall are elephant balustrades. Notable among the wall panel sculptures and depicting scenes from the epics and puranic stories are the 16-handed Shiva dancing on the head of a demon called Andhakasura, dancing images of a 22-armed Durga and Saraswati, King Ravana lifting Mount Kailash, the Pandava prince Arjuna shooting the fish target, and Draupadi rushing forth with garland, and the slaying of the demon Gajasura.