Nagareshvara Temple, Bankapura – The Temple

Nagareshvara Temple, Bankapura – The Temple

The temple is situated inside the ruined Bankapura fort. The temple is facing towards east and situated below the ground level. The temple consists of Sanctum, Antrala, Navaranga and Mukha Mandapa. This temple is famously called as Aruvattu Kambagala Gudi (Sixty Pillars Temple) after the sixty beautiful Chalukyan style pillars in the Mukha Mandapa. The Mukha Mandapa can be entered from three sides (from the east, north and southern side).

The Mukha Mandapa has seating arrangements all across its border. The outer walls of the Mukha Mandapa is profusely carved with miniature decorative towers and miniature sculptures. The ceiling in the Mukha Mandapa between pillars are highly decorative with designs such as rosettes with imaginary beasts (Kirtimukhas) at the four corners.  The central ceiling of the Mukha Mandapa is decorated with a beautiful carving of lotus.

The Mukha Mandapa are known for the bell-shaped lathe turned pillars of dark grey stone (soap stone). The main decoration on these pillars are the horizontal rings of moldings. There are other pillars on square bases whose shafts are octagonal or 16-sided with round capitals. The Mukha Mandapa is connected with Navaranga via small closed corridor. This corridor in the form of small mandapa has seating arrangements on either side.

The pillars in this corridor are extremely ornate and belong to an entirely different workmanship. The doorway of the Navaranga is carved with five bands of decorations and the lintel has Gajalakshmi motif. The Navaranga had two entrances on either side with entrance porch, now only one remains. The doorjamb and lintel decoration is worthy of mention, especially at the entrance to the closed hall from the south. The sanctum is now empty but would have at one time housed a Shiva Linga.