Kasivisvesvara Temple,
Lakkundi – The Temple
This is a double shrined temple
(dvikuta). This twin temple might be joined by a mandapa at some point of time and
covered with a roof above it. The shrine facing east is dedicated to Kasivisvesvara
(Hindu god Shiva)
whose universal symbol, a Linga, stands three feet tall in the sanctum. It
has a garbhagriha, antarala, mandapa and a porch. Entrance to the mandapa is
provided on its east and south. Inside the mandapa are found Sapta Matrikas and
Ganesha on either side of the antarala doorway.
The garbhagriha doorway lintel
has Shiva in middle with Brahma and Vishnu on either side. Shiva is shown with
Parvati. Below these figures are placed fighting scenes of horses and elephants
having rider on few. Inside the garbhagriha is a Shivalinga. The god is
referred as Kavatalesvara and Kavatala-chamundeshvara in inscriptions.
The external walls of the temple
are decorated with various sculptures. Among these Ravana lifting mount
Kailasa, Shiva slaying Gajasura, Bhima fighting with Bhagadatta, Ravana
fighting with Indra etc. are notable. These sculptures are much mutilated and
spoiled. Noteworthy are the majority of elephant fight themed sculptures on
these external walls and presence of elephants on the lintel of the
garbhagriha.
The Kasivisvesvara temple
epitomizes the shift in Chalukyan artistic achievements, towards sharper and
crisper stone work not seen in earlier constructions, taking full advantage of
the effect of light and shade. Special attention was paid to mouldings, arches
and other details on the tower, and decorations on doorjambs and lintels.
The other shrine, which faces
the main shrine is dedicated to the sun god Surya and
is called Suryanarayana. The Surya shrine faces west, an unusual
occurrence among Surya temples, which normally face east. Mandapa doorway
lintel depicts Surya with Usha and Pratyusha. Surya is shown in his high boots.
Around the vimana, on central niches of all sides, horses of Surya are still
intact though the niches are empty now. Inside the garbhagriha is a pedestal
over which seven horses of Surya with charioteer Aruna are left but image of
Surya is missing.
The architects in the Karnataka
region seem to have been inspired by architectural developments in northern
India. This is evidenced by the fact that they incorporated decorative
miniature towers (multi-aedicular towers depicting superstructures) of
the Sekhari and Bhumija types,
supported on pilasters, almost simultaneously with these developments in the
temples in northern India.
The miniature towers represented
shrines, which in turn represented deities. Sculptural depictions of deities
were generally discreet although not uncommon. Other northern ideas they
incorporated were the pillar bodies that appeared as wall projections. Well-known
constructions incorporating these features are found at the Kasivisvesvara
Temple and the nearby Nannesvara Temple.
The doorpost mouldings on the southern and eastern
doorway are worthy of mention. On both sides of the southern doorway are four
inner bands of scrolls which run up the sides and around the lower part of
the entablature above.
Next to these bands, on either side, in the centre, are tall columns or pilasters supporting
the lower cornice above.
Beyond these columns, on either side, are four more bands of decorative
mouldings.
On the lintel of the doorway is
a dedicatory block containing an image of Gaja-Lakshmi with
an elephant on either side. In fact, in the Kannada spoken regions, it is
common to find the image of Lakshmi in the dedicatory block on the lintel
irrespective of the temple's original dedication; whether the principal deity
was Shiva, Vishnu or Jaina. Above
the lower cornice, the entablature consists of small figures, now numbering
only three (must have been eleven originally) standing under cusped arches.
Above these figures is a valance
of beads hanging in festoons. The decoration on the eastern
doorway, though not a fine as on the southern doorway, is worthy of praise for
its filigree work.
The doorway to the shrine (sanctum) rivals the exterior ones in finish. The
dedicatory block on the lintel has an image of Gaja-Lakshmi and her elephants.
Above the cornice is a procession of men and animals. These images, which are
barely six inches tall, include horsemen and musicians.
Above these images are the trinity of
Hindu gods: Brahma,
Vishnu and
Shiva.
The ornamentation on the outer wall of the shrine consists of prominent central
niches above which is a miniature tower (shikhara
or aedicule)
which is purely nagara (north Indian) in style and cuts through the
principal cornice. The decorative arch above the miniature tower is a
conspicuous ornamental feature of the superstructure. The miniature tower–arch
combination is repeated up the superstructure of the shrine.
The finial
(kalasha)
and the capping structure of the tower is missing. In the temple hall, the
pillars, their capital, and brackets figures
above the capital (which include little lions, kirtimukhas and
scrolls) are evidence of expert workmanship, the kind found on ivory or silver.
The artisans fully availed the workable properties of finely grained stone (soapstone)
to produce polished pillars whose shafts have a rounded appearance obtained by
using a lathe.
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