Kasivisvesvara Temple,
Lakkundi, Karnataka
Kasivisvesvara Temple is a
Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Lakkundi Village near Gadag
Town in Gadag District of Karnataka. The Temple is also called as Kashi Vishwanatha Temple. The
temple is a dual shrine or dvikuta, in which the one facing east is Lord Shiva
in the universal form of Linga and the other facing west is the Sun god. The temple is protected as a monument of national
importance by the Archaeological
Survey of India.
The Temple is situated opposite to Nanneshwara Temple. Though
on similar architectural style like Nanneshwara, Kashi Vishwanatha is much more
elaborate, has more carvings and sculptures all across. The temple is known for
its exquisite and intricate carvings on its exterior, pillars and on the door
frames. The temple is on the banks of the River Tungabhadra. The Temple is located at about 1 Km from Lakkundi Bus Stop.
History
The centre of cultural and temple-building activity of
the Western Chalukya Empire lay
in the Tungabhadra river region, where large
medieval workshops built numerous monuments. These monuments, regional variants
of pre-existing dravida (South
Indian) temples, defined the Karnata dravida tradition. Lakkundi
in particular was the location of the mature phase of the Western Chalukya architecture, and
the Kasivisvesvara temple marks a high point of these achievements. It is one
of the most ornate temples in the Kannada spoken
region of India.
The existence of a 1087 CE inscription on a beam in the
temple mantapa
(hall) and the plainness of that part of the temple suggests that the original
construction may have been simpler and that the profusion of decoration may
have been added to the other parts of the temple at a later period, with the
end of Chola invasions
of Chalukyan territory. Most of the inscriptions in Lakkundi date from
1170 CE onwards. It is known that Hoysala king Veera
Ballala II annexed Lakkundi (also known as Lokkigundi) from
the Seunas of
Devagiri and made it his capital around 1193 CE. It is possible that the
temple may have received embellishment during his rule.
The Temple
For brief details, please refer below link;
Temple Opening Time
The Temple remains open from 08.00 AM to 05.00 PM except
on Fridays.
Festivals
Lakkundi festival which is an annual
festival held in May every year with much fanfare.
Connectivity
For brief details, please refer below link;
Location
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