The Chalukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c15.s1.1

c15.s1.1

CHAUDADĀMPUR is a small village upon the banks of the Tuṅgabhadrā river on the eastern boundary of the Dhārwār district. At this place, by the side of the river, stands the old and almost deserted temple of Muktēśvara (Plates LXXVI—LXXX). Comparing this temple with the old Jaina temple at Lakkuṇḍi, it shows a further development in the new style that set in after the return of the Chālukyas to power on the extinction of the Rāṣṭrakūṭa dynasty, if, indeed, it was not started under the latter kings. We now meet with a new feature—the deep overhanging cornice with a double curved outline, forming the eaves of the porches. Something of this sort was necessary with these open halls and porches to exclude sun and rain. In the earlier temples the heavier cornice, which was then used, was a simple quarter-round curve which did not project more than half the extent of these later ones. To correspond with this a smaller cornice of the same character was introduced around the rest of the building.