Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c37.24

c37.24

Some little time after the production of the foregoing, a Jain temple was built at Lakkundi, a village seven miles from Gadag, which may be taken as the next step in the formation of the style. For not only does it denote progress in architectural experience, but it marks that change in material already referred to, when instead of the rougher grained sandstone hitherto used, it is built of the finer textured schist. The introduction of the latter reacted on the character of the workmanship as from now onwards the masonry courses are reduced in size, and the carving is more delicate and highly finished. The Jain temple is one of several buildings at Lakkundi, but it has every appearance of being the oldest, besides being the most imposing, as its dimensions are not inconsiderable, its length measuring 93 feet, its breadth 35 feet, and the sikhara is 42 feet in height. A distinguishing feature of its elevation is a high middle story in the tower, due, as in several Jain temples, to the imposition of an upper interior shrine-chamber, this supplementary sanctuary repeating, in several respects, the arrangements of the compartments underneath. On the eastern front is a large open-pillared hall, through which one passes to the sole entrance to the temple proper. Except for the more finished masonry and the finer character of the mural sculpture, there is nothing specially notable in the design of this building, save that the upper part of the tower indicates by the more flowing curve of its contours a still further trend towards the Hoysala model. As to the date of this temple it is recorded that Ballal II, one of the earliest of the Hoysala dynasty, made Lakkundi his capital in A.D. 1191, but even before that event it must have been an important city, so it is not unlikely from its appearance that this Jain temple was built in the last half of the eleventh century.