The Chalukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c14.s2: The Temple of Kāśiviśvēśvara
The Chālukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c14.s2
- Language
- English
The Temple of Kāśiviśvēśvara
c14.s2.1
The most elaborately finished temple of all those in the village, and one of the most ornate in the Kanarese districts, is the temple of Kāśiviśvēśvara. It is possibly one of those which were damaged during the Chōla invasion, in the eleventh century, when several temples at Lakshmēśvara were destroyed but afterwards rebuilt. On a beam in the hall is an inscription, dated in the thirteenth year of the reign of Tribhuvanamalla (Vikramāditya VI.), which corresponds to A.D. 1087; but as this part of the temple, and the ceiling above the beam, are very plain indeed, compared with the profusion of decoration about the doorways and the exterior of the temple, it may be that this is the only portion of the original temple left standing by the Chōḷas. The rest of the temple, as it now stands, certainly looks later than many of those to be described further on. The bulk of the inscriptions, of which there are very many at Lakkuṇḍi, are dated after A.D. 1170. We know that the Hoysaḷa chief, Viraballāḷadēva, was established in this, his newly-acquired capital of Lokkiguṇḍi, in 1193, having, a short time previously, and while acting as his father's general, wrested the country from the Yadavas. It is thus more than probable that he began to re-build the temples that were destroyed and to embellish his new capital (Plates LXII, LXV—LXXII).
c14.s2.2
In this temple the Chālukyan builders reached their high watermark in decorative architecture. The mouldings are deeper and crisper than in earlier examples, and thus have a more sparkling effect of light and shade. This is especially the case in the towers where the mouldings and detail are far more delicate; and the detail around the doorways is particularly rich and far beyond anything in older temples. Bands and scrolls of lace-like carving run up the jambs and across the lintels, some of it standing in high relief, and some perforated and almost detached by undercutting.
c14.s2.3
On the southern doorway, which seems to have lost its porch and to have had a new cornice or *chajja* added above it at some subsequent period, there are, amongst the doorpost mouldings, four inner bands or fasciæ which run up the sides and around the lower part of the entablature above. Next to these, on either side, in the centre, are tall attenuated columns or pilasters, supporting the lower cornice above. Beyond these, again, on either side, are four other bands of mouldings. On the lintel of the doorway is the projecting dedicatory block on which is the favourite group of Lakshmī and her elephants. The remainder of the entablature, above the lower cornice, is principally taken up with—or, rather, was, for only three now remain—a row of eleven small standing figures beneath a lace-like fringe of cusped arching. Above this is a valance of beads hanging in festoons. The illustrations on Plates LXVII and LXVIII will save further detailed description of these rich filigree mouldings which are wrought in the stone with as much care and delicacy as they would have been in silver. Upon either side of the door, at the bottom, are rows of small images, beneath cusped and foliated arches, nine on each side, the central one, at the base of each of the pilasters, being a goddess on one side and, perhaps, a god on the other, but the latter is rather damaged.
c14.s2.4
Though the south doorway is the finer one of the two, the eastern has even more delicate work upon it. In this one some of the bands have been so undercut as to leave ribbons of perforated filigree work the fine tracery of which is accentuated by the black shadows of the innumerable interstices between. How the tool was worked through these small holes to remove the background is marvellous: it must have required the very utmost effort of patience (Plate LXIX).
c14.s2.5
The central niches, on the outer walls of the shrine, are, in this, more prominent features than in earlier temples; they are considerably enlarged, and the miniature *śikharas* above them break through the principal cornice, the foliated arch above becoming an ornamental feature of the tower. This combination of *śikhara* and arch has been repeated up the tower upon each of the storeys, which have become so masked by multitudinous mouldings and other detail that it is not easy, at first sight, to separate them, but they are there nevertheless. These little *śikharas*, which are a very prominent feature on the face of the building, are purely northern in type. It is a pity that the capping member and the *kalaśa* or finial has gone, for, judging from the graceful cut of the mouldings of the tower, they were, probably, unusually fine.
c14.s2.6
The shrine doorway, within, rivals the exterior one in point of finish (Plate LXX). Above it are figures of Brahmā, Śiva and Viṣṇu. Upon the cornice are groups of men and animals in procession, among which, in the middle, is a horseman with head and shoulders broken off, preceded by musicians. The action and contour of both horse and man are very good (Fig. 26). The Indian sculptor was never very happy in delineating the horse, and few good examples are to be found. The leg of the man, about all that is left of him, hangs freely and naturally in the stirrup, while the outline of the hind quarters of the horse is very pleasing. The group is not more than six inches high, and is cut in very bold relief, in fact it is almost detached from the cornice. Over this doorway, too, presides Gaja-Lakṣmī.
c14.s2.7
Fig. 26.—Horseman group over the shrine door of Kāśiviśveśvara, Lakkuṇḍi.
c14.s2.8
The pillars and pilasters, with their capitals, are beautifully wrought (Plate LXXI). The round parts of the shafts of the pillars of this period were turned on a lathe, and their surfaces were brought to a high polish. The material being a very fine-grained stone and easily cut, it was possible to turn the finest and most delicate mouldings without fear of breaking the sharp edges. Of this property the sculptors availed themselves to the utmost, and have produced in stone--work such as would appear at first sight only possible in ivory or silver. The design of the pillars is carried out on more graceful lines than in the earlier examples, and there is better proportion between the parts. The brackets, above the capitals, are especially worth notice, the little lions, kīrtimukhas, and scrolls being very much undercut. The ceilings are poor, being decorated with a plain lotus.
c14.s2.9
Within the shrine is a liṅga standing three feet high. The interior was for many years used by some villagers as a lumber room, in which was stored a lot of rubbish, and it was kept in a very dirty state.
c14.s2.10
This is a double temple, that is, it has a second shrine facing the main building on the east, but separated from it by a raised platform, which was, perhaps, at one time, an open hall roofed over. This style of double temple is not frequently met with. This small shrine has been dedicated to Sūrya-Nārāyaṇa, but it faces west instead of east as is customary with Sūrya temples. On the dedicatory block of the doorway is Gaja-Lakṣmī, but above her is Sūrya in his top boots with his seven steeds below him, while, on either side, are pairs of female *chauri* bearers, and, beyond these, one on either side, are his two wives, Saṅgnā and Chhāyā, each with her bow. The throne for an image of Sūrya, upon which are his seven horses, lies in the hall of the main temple. This was probably in the shrine of the smaller temple originally.