Kamaleshwara Temple, Jalasangvi – The Temple

Kamaleshwara Temple, Jalasangvi – The Temple

This temple is facing towards east and built on a star-shaped platform. The temple is built in typical Kalyan Chalukya architecture style. The Sanctum Sanctorum consists of Sanctum, Antrala and an open Mukha Mandapa. The Mukha Mandapa is a later addition to the temple. Presiding Deity is called as Kamalishwara / Kamaleshwara / Kalleshvara and is facing east. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of Linga.  The shikhara over the sanctum is missing as it might have been either destroyed or dilapidated in the course of time.

The exterior walls of the temple have preserved some outstanding sculptures. The outer wall of the sanctum has three niches housing Lord Shiva, Narasimha and Durga. This temple is famous for its outstanding sculptures of Salabhanjika or Madanika. The Salabhanjika is a standard decorative element of Indian sculpture, a graceful stone sculpture representing a young female under a stylized tree in various poses,  such as dancing, grooming herself or playing a musical instrument.

The salabhanjikas female features, like breasts and hips,  are often exaggerated and are decorated with complex hairdos, different kinds of apparel and an abundance of jewelry. The sculptures of the temple were the source of inspiration for the later Hoysala bracket-figures of Belur, Halebidu and Somanathapura. The most prominent sculpture of this temple is a sculpture of a lady, Shasana Sundari (Shilabalika), a mythological woman, depicted as inscribing Sanskrit epigraph in Kannada characters on a slate-like plank. 

The figure in dancing position is seen inscribing the epigraph. It has been composed in a vertical space of the wall. The Shasana praises Vikramaditya VI of the Chalukya Dynasty. The writings is deciphered as "Saptadveepodaree Bhutam Bhutalam Sweekarishyati Chalukya Vikramaditya Saptamo Vishnuvardhanaha". The translation is "Vikramaditya of Chalukya Dynasty captured and is ruling the land containing seven islands". It can be noted from the posture of the figure that the body shows a twist beyond the navel as observed in belly twist. The neck is bend as in akashi mudra.