_Shambhukallu%20Shiva%20Temple_Karnataka_2022_10_11_081328.jpg "Prasanna Somesvara temple Udiyavara Udupi Karnataka")
The temple is notable for being from one of the oldest surviving Shaiva centers of coastal Karnataka that is mentioned in several inscriptions, all dated between 725 and 770 CE. Its apsidal shape (4:3 ratio) when compared to other early apsidal Hindu found along Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra coastline suggest that apsidal architecture were among the popular early designs in peninsular India. No traces of Jain or Buddhist art or inscriptions have been found near this temple complex.
The Prasanna Somesvara temple has a base of granite that is topped with laterite blocks. It blends Karnata Dravida elements with Tulu Nadu art. The temple includes a detached Namaskara mandapa of a design typically found in early Kerala. It has a Torana (gateway) and a Nandi mandapa with Rashtrakuta influences and design found in Maharashtra. The Vimana show Chola influences from Tamil Nadu. This combination suggests sharing of ideas and innovations in 7th-century India.
This temple is on a hillock site that is large and includes the Sambhusailesvara, Devi–Saptamatrika and Vishnu shrines along with evidence of a Hindu monastery from 8th to 12th century.