Mallikarjuna Temple, Basaralu – The Temple

Mallikarjuna Temple, Basaralu – The Temple

The temple is highly ornate example of Hoysala architecture. The Mallikarjuna temple facing east located at the flank of the tank called “Gujjavve Kere” situated in the boundary of the village on the road to Nagamangala is a small temple but a significant structure among the Hoysala temples in respect of sculptures. It resembles the Trikuta temple of god Bucheshwara at Koravangala in Hasan Taluk. The temple faces east and consists of a Nandi Mandapa, Navaranga and Antarala or Sukhanasi. The temple is constructed in trikuta-chala style, consisting of three garbha-griha (sanctums/cells), one each on north, south and west. Only the main sanctum, in the west, is provided with antarala (vestibule), the rests directly opens into the common mandapa (Navaranga).

This Mandapam has a ceiling which is intricately carved with Ashta Dikpalas (8 deities protecting the eight quarters / directions of world). East is represented by Indira on Airavatam (White Elephant), South East by Agni on Mesha (Male Goat), South by Yama on Mahisha (Male buffalo), South West by Nirurti on Nara (Man), West by Varuna on Makara (the Crocodile), North west by Vayu on Mruga (Deer), North by Kubera on Ashwa (Horse) and North east by Ishana on Vrishbha (Bull).

The three shrines are connected by a common hall (mandapam) which is unique in that it mixes characteristics of an open and a closed hall. The lateral shrines are connected directly to the hall while the middle shrine has a vestibule that connects the sanctum to the hall. Beyond the Navaranga, towards the east, is a connected Nandi-mandapa, which is very much infused with the main temple making it a coherent unit. This Nandi-mandapa is covered with perforated screens on its sides. With the eastern side being closed by this Nandi-mandapa, the entrance to the temple is provided on its south and north sides, leading into a passage connecting Navaranga and Nandi-mandapa.

To enter the temple, a visitor first approaches the platform (jagati) through a flight to steps, on either side of which a miniature shrine is placed.  On the platform, another flight of steps takes the visitor into the temple. On either side of this flight, an elephant is placed majestically. Since the lateral shrines have no tower over them and are directly connected to the hall without a vestibule and its corresponding tower like projection, they do not appear like shrines from the outside. Rather, they are absorbed into the walls of hall. The central shrine on the contrary is highly visible because of its tower and the sukhanasi that projects prominently from the tower.

The sanctum in the central shrine has a Linga, Mallikarjuna (the universal symbol of the god Shiva). The Mallikarjuna Shiva Linga inside the main sanctum is said to have been brought in from Srisailam and established in this temple around that time. A notable brilliance in the temple construction is the small opening opposite to the main sanctum, through which sunlight enters the temple, and passes through a hole in the ear of the Nandi and touches the Shiva Linga on a specific day in the Hindu calendar year.

The other cells have an image of Surya and Nagas at present however the 1910 Mysore Archaeological Report mentions that the southern cell had an image of Narayana and the northern cell had an image of Krishna. The doorframes of the other sanctums have decorations in five bands and Vaishnava doorkeepers. The Nandi sculpture in front of the Navaranga is also beautiful. Four Devakoshtas here almost look like small temples with beautiful Dravidian superstructures and sculptures of Sharada (Saraswathi), Ganapathi, Mahisha Mardini and Saptamatrika panels.

On the lintel of the doorframe of the entrance to the Navaranga is a sculpture of Tandaveshwara. The doorframe has Shaiva doorkeepers and perforated windows. The perforated windows on the wall of the eastern part of the Navaranga as well as the mukhamandapam, provide ventilation to the structure. The Kakshasanas to the east of the Navaranga and the mukhamandapam show that originally it has an open Navaranga, Ardha mandapam and Nandi Mandapa assembled into one unit with the help of perforated window walls. 

Among the Vaishnava door keeper sculptures in the Mukhamandapam of the North-South entrance of the temple, one is missing. The tall and huge Nandi sculpture, as well as doorkeepers in the Mukhamandapam is excellent. The temple stands on a platform called jagati, a feature common to many Hoysala temples. The platform, in addition to its visual appeal, is meant to provide devotees a path for circumambulation (Pradakshinapatha) around the temple. It closely follows the outline of the temple, giving it a good elevated look. It has two flights of steps leading to each lateral entrance of the temple. 

The tower over the central shrine and the vestibule (sukhanasi or nose) are intact and highly decorative. The other standard features of a Hoysala temple; the large domed roof over the tower (called "helmet" or amalaka), the kalasa on top of it (the decorative water-pot at the apex of the helmet) and the Hoysala crest (emblem of the Hoysala warrior stabbing a lion) over the sukhanasi are all intact, adding to the decorative look. The dome is actually a heavy, well sculptured "helmet" over the tower and is the largest piece of sculpture in the temple (2x2 meters). Its shape usually follows that of the shrine and hence can be either square or star shaped.

The decorative plan of the walls of the shrines and the mandapam (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 run below the superstructure and all around the temple with a projection of about half a meter. The second eaves run 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.

There is the Chandikeswara Shrine in the in the northeast corner of the temple complex. There is a Bhairava sculpture in the garbhagriha of Chandikeswara Shrine. 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 Saraswathi, 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.

To the east of the temple stands a sixteen feet high pillar, on top of which was a figure of a male and female. Only the figure of a female has survived. The male figure, when it was intact in 1910, was shown falling off the capital. This pillar is uninscribed, but deriving similarity to a pillar in Hoysaleshvar temple at Halebidu, it may be suggested that the theme depicted on this pillar is that of a self-immolation. There are 7 viragals found near the Peepal tree and 2 viragals opposite to the tree.