Kalleshvara Temple, Ambali, Karnataka

Kalleshvara Temple, Ambali, Karnataka

Kalleshvara Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located at Ambali Town in Bellary District in Karnataka State, India. The temple is simple in its appearance with fine interiors. The Temple follows Western Chalukyan Architecture. This temple is protected as a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India.

History

According to an Old Kannada inscription (dated 1083) placed in the Sabha Mandapam (lit, "gathering hall"), the temple was constructed during the reign of the Western Chalukya King Vikramaditya VI (also called as Tribhuvana Malla).

The Temple

The temple is a single shrine construction with an adjoining hall (Mandapam). The basic building material is Soap stone. The original superstructure over the shrine is lost. The temple is simple in its appearance with fine interiors. The temple which faces east comprises a sanctum, an antechamber (or vestibule or antarala whose tower is called the sukhanasi) that connects the sanctum to a gathering hall (Sabha Mandapam) which is preceded by a main hall (Mukha Mandapam).

The square bases of pillars in the Sabha Mandapam and Mukha Mandapam have the characteristic decoration with reliefs, depicting various Hindu deities such as Surya (the sun god), Bhairava (a version of the god Shiva) and Durga. The Garbagriha (sanctum sanctorum) houses a Shivalinga and has an ornate pancha (five) shaka (jamb) door frame decorated with lozenges, creepers, musicians, dancers, birds, lions and elephants. The door jambs have Dwarapalakas attended by Rati and Manmatha.

The lintel of the Garbagriha has a well sculpted Gajalakshmi with elephants on either side. The threshold of the door in front has a decorated moon-stone or semi-circular stone slab (chandrasila). The antarala door way is intriguing with lozenge flower decorated perforated screens. The door jambs have sculptures of Dwarapalakas.

The lintel of the antarala (sukhanasi/vestibule) has a beautiful carving of Nataraja (dancing Shiva) who is watched by goddess Parvati and attendants who include Lords Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi along with Lord Brahma and Goddess Saraswathi, and the Ashtadik-palakas (guardians of the eight cardinal directions) mounted on their respective vahanas (vehicles/mounts) on either side. This depiction ends with stylized makaras (crocodile with florid tail) at the ends of the lintel. 

The exterior walls of the sanctum houses mouldings or friezes consisting of a miniature lions (Simha), elephants and makaras with strings of pearl tassels in combination. There are three finely carved miniature shikara on the three walls of the Garbagriha. The moulded adhisthana (basement or plinth) has indentations up to the walls which resolve into manch-bandha pattern whose projections carry niches. These are treated with Dravida turrets raised on slender pilasters.

The turrets (vertical projecting towers) are crowned with Kirtimukha (glory-faced) makara torana. The shikara above Garbagriha is comparatively plain and of Dravidian style. The natya-mandapam situated at the center has four lathe pillars with sculpted bases similar to the ones in many other Chalukyan temples. The mukha-mantapas have a Jagati (platform/stone bench) on which are present a set of pillars circular in shape and are lathe turned while the others set on ground along its periphery have dissimilar distinct shapes and are skillfully executed. The ceiling of the mandapam has a lotus motif.

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 12 Kms from Ittigi, 12 Kms from Kotturu, 13 Kms from Kotturu Railway Station, 33 Kms from Harpanahalli, 73 Kms from Hadagali, 113 Kms from Bellary, 291 Kms from Bengaluru and 309 Kms from Bengaluru Airport. Ambali is located off the Kottur - Hadagali main road, about 12 km from Kotturu towards Hadagali.

Location | Photos