Mallikarjuna Temple, Mahakuta

In Mahakuta, Karnataka, a quiet village near Badami, the 7th-century Mallikarjuna Temple, dedicated to Shiva, stands amid ancient shrines and waterworks. Its sandstone form and the nearby simpler older temples show how Hindu architecture developed at Mahakuta between about 475 CE and 640 CE.

The temple features a south Indian Dravida-style vimana with a tiered tower, complemented by north Indian Nagara influences in nearby shrines. Intricate and beautiful carvings on pillars and walls reflect Chalukyan artistry. The nearby Vishnu Pushkarini tank, fed by a natural spring, holds a submerged Shiva linga. This is an active Hindu temples complex.

The temple’s architecture and detailed carvings present additional innovations than those exemplified by the caves and structural temples at Badami. Of particular note are the stone windows and Bhadra images of Harihara, Shiva and Ardhanarishwara. Inside, the Hara-Gauri (Shiva-Parvati) riding on a leaping Nandi is one of the highlights.

Adjacent to the Mallikarjuna temple is the historic and equally impressive Mahakuteshvara Temple which shares similar architectural traits. Other nearby sites such as those around the Mahakuta hill, Aihole’s galaxy of temples and Pattadakal’s UNESCO-listed shrines, provide further context for India's Chalukyan architectural heritage. These also provide one of the earliest evidence of how architectural and design ideas about Hindu temples from different parts of India were once shared, evolved and diversified in ancient times.

15.931925 N, 75.721329 E

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