In Aihole, Karnataka’s ancient laboratory of temple design, the 7th-century Durga Temple is a Chalukyan marvel. To most, this Hindu temple stands out for its apsidal form.
The temple is named after Durga, but this is not because it was a goddess temple. Its second storey and roof served as a mini fort (or Durg) after the 13th-century – a turbulent period of Indian history, and since then it has come to be known as Durga temple. The original temple was likely dedicated to Vishnu or Surya.
The temple is one of over fifty historic Hindu temples known in India that follow the apsidal or circular form mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts on Hindu temple architecture.
The Durga temple of Aihole is a regional and historic landmark. It is best appreciated with visits to the museum in front of it and some of over fifty Indian monuments in Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal’s UNESCO-listed shrines. These show the innovative and experimental spirit in 6th and 7th-century India where a fusion of north and south Indian ideas created an exceptional diversity in architectural and artistic expression along the Malaprabha river.