The Chalukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c10.s2: The Bhūtanātha Group of Temples
The Chālukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c10.s2
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The Bhūtanātha Group of Temples
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Upon the western margin of the lake is an extremely picturesque group of old sandstone temples clustered around the principal shrine which is now dedicated to Bhūtanātha. As viewed across the southern end of the lake, when bathed in the mellow glow of the setting sun, the weatherworn buildings, with their reflections in the still water, broken by the reeds and their reflections, and backed up by the rugged cliffs of red sandstone, present a lovely harmony of rich colouring (Plates XXXI and XXXIV).
c10.s2.2
The main temple is composed of work of different periods. The closed hall and shrine are of the earliest work, while the outer open hall is of a much later time. In the inner hall the deep heavy architrave above the columns divides the hall, as in all these old temples, into a lofty central nave and two lower side aisles, although the central raised floor, as shown in the plan, would make it appear as if the interior was arranged as in later temples. The pillars are of the same massive style as those in the temple of Mālegitti-Śivālaya (Plate XXXIII). The ceiling of the nave is divided into three bays by shallow cross-beams each being decorated with a lotus rosette. Four perforated geometric-patterned windows, which have pretty surface tracery over the outside, admit a dim religious light into the hall.
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The shrine doorway is rather plain. Just above the lintel is a band of geese with outstretched necks towards the centre. There is no dedicatory block or image above the doors to indicate the deity for whom the temple was built. At the foot of the shrine doorway, on either side, is a female figure, that on the right being Gaṅgā upon her *makara* and the other Yamunā upon her tortoise. Upon the pilaster on either side have been *dvārapālas* or other life-sized figures, but they have been carefully chipped away to the surface of the pilaster, only the outline being left.
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The antechamber here is in an unusual position, being placed within the shrine door, and between it and the shrine. Within the shrine is an altar for an image, with mortises cut in the top to receive it; but in place of the image which has, no doubt, been removed, has been placed a very squat *liṅga* with its *śaluṅkā*.
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Before the entrance doorway of the temple is a porch, with two heavy square pillars like those inside, but this has been enveloped within a large open pillared hall which has been added at a subsequent time. Two of the four central pillars of this addition are crowded up against the two pillars of the porch. The latter are a little more ornamental than those of Mālegitti-Śivālaya, being square at the base, octagonal above, with a heavy square mass in the middle, carved with arabesque ornament. At the bottom of the outer door, on the south side, is a little fat Kuvera-like figure similar to those on the Jaina temple at Paṭṭadakal; that on the other side is left in block. There is a *dhandraśila*, or half moon-shaped doorstep in front of the hall door, but this is very likely an addition placed there when the outer hall was built.
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The temple has been left unfinished, the ornament on the *śikhara* being mostly only blocked out. In the base of the *śikhara*, leading off the roof by a doorway, is a small empty shrine, rather a characteristic of Jaina temples in these districts than of Hindu. There are image niches on the outside of the hall and shrine, but they are now empty. The top corners of the hall niches were decorated with long-tailed *makaras*. The temple faces west.
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There is an old inscription of three lines on the face of the north-east pillar of the hall but it is, apparently, of no special interest. There is another on the north wall of the temple outside, in characters of about the 9th or 10th century A.D., which records a grant of land to the venerable Śridharabhūteśvara of the lineage of Śri-Paiṅga.¹
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¹ *Indian Antiquary*, X, 60. ² Progress Report of the Archæological Survey of India, Western Circle, 1907-8, p. 41.
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Against the north side of the hall, has been constructed a little shrine to enclose an image of Viṣṇu which probably occupied the central niche on this side. It is possible that the temple, having been originally Vaiṣṇava, passed into the hands of the Jains, who removed the images, and was subsequently taken possession of by the Liṅgāyats, who added the outer hall and *Nandi* and installed the *liṅga*.