The Mahakuta group of temples is located in Mahakuta, a village in the
Bagalkot district of
Karnataka state, India. It is an important place of worship for
Hindus and the location of a well-known
Shaiva monastery. The temples are dated to the 6th or 7th century CE and were constructed by the early kings of the
Chalukya dynasty of
Badami. The dating of the temples is based on the style of architecture which is similar to that of the temples in nearby
Aihole[1] and the information in two notable inscriptions in the complex: the
Mahakuta Pillar inscription dated between 595–602 CE (written in the
Sanskrit language and
Kannada script);[2] and an inscription of Vinapoti, a
concubine of king
Vijayaditya, dated between 696–733 CE and written in the
Kannada language and script.[3]
Basic plan
The Karnataka artisans of the 7th century achieved a certain eclectism in their architecture by building south Indian dravida style temples adjacent to north Indian nagara style temples.[4] Further, their dravida and nagara styles were local, indigenous variants and unrelated to the architectural styles that prevailed in modern
Tamil Nadu to the south, and
Central India ("Madhyadesha") to the north.[5] They achieved this by combining the basic plan of one style with characteristics of the other. The dravida style temples here have a tiered tower over the shrine which is capped with a dome like structure. The nagara style temples use a curvilinear tower over a shrine which has a square plan, and is capped by a ribbed stone.[4] The development of this hybrid style, achieved by combining the typological features of the two basic architectural styles, is considered a peculiarity of the Karnataka region and defines the beginnings of the
Vesara style of architecture.[6]
A natural mountain spring flows within the temple complex and feeds fresh water into a large tank called the Vishnu Pushkarni ("
Lotus pool of god
Vishnu") and an ablution tank called Papavinasha Tirtha ("Tank of Ablution"). Among the several shrines in the complex, the Mahakuteshvara temple, built in the dravida style, and the Mallikarjuna temple are the largest. There is a small shrine in the centre of the Vishnu Pushkarni tank and in it is a
Shivalinga (universal symbol of god Shiva) called Panchamukha linga ("five faced linga"), one face for each direction and one on top.[1]
Inscriptions
The Mahakuta complex has provided historians two important 7th century inscriptions. The
Mahakuta Pillar inscription,[7] dated variously between 595–602 CE records a grant made by Durlabhadevi, a queen of
Pulakeshin I (the father of king
Mangalesha). The queen supplemented an earlier grant with an endowment of ten villages, including
Pattadakal and Aihole to god Mahkuteshvara Natha. In addition, the inscription provides important information about the Chalukyan lineage, their military expeditions, their conquests and early monuments.[2] The pillar goes by the name Dharma-jayastambha ("Pillar of victory of religion") and is on exhibition at a
Bijapur archaeological museum.[3] The other inscription, ascribed to Vinapoti, king Vijayaditya's concubine, is inscribed in the porch of the Mahakuteshvara temple. It describes a grant of
rubies and a silver umbrella to the deity Mahakuteshvara in addition to a piece of land.[3]
Gallery
Vishnu temple with nagara superstructure (left) and a shrine with
Kadamba superstructure (right) at Mahakuta
Mahakuteshvara temple (painted white) in the dravida style (rear) and Sangameshvara temple in nagara style (front)
Sangameshvara temple with nagara superstructure at Mahakuta
7th century Kannada inscription of Vinapoti, concubine of Badami Chalukya King Vijayaditya
Sculpture of Ardhanareeshvara (form of the Hindu god Shiva) at the Mahakuta temples
Cousens, Henry (1996) [1926]. The Chalukyan Architecture of Kanarese Districts. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India.
OCLC37526233.
Sinha, Ajay (2000) [2000]. Imagining Architects: Creativity in the Religious Monuments of India. Delaware: University of Delaware Press.
ISBN978-0-87413-684-5.
"The Mahakuta Pillar and Its Temples, Carol Radcliffe Bolon".
JSTOR3249519. {{
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