The Chalukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c21: Harihar
The Chālukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c21
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Contents
- c21.s1 The Temple of Harihara — 4 parts
Harihar
The Temple of Harihara
c21.s1.1
JUST across the southern border of the Dhārwār district, on the south bank of the Tuṅgabhadrā, in Maisur territory, is the town of Harihar. It lies upon the old trunk road from Poona to Bangalore, and is now a station on the Southern Marāthā Railway. Not far from the river is the temple of Harihara, standing within its own enclosure. It is, in size and general arrangement, almost a copy of the temple of Tārakeśvara at Hāngal. The original spire has, unfortunately, disappeared, and the tower which now stands is a modern one constructed of brick and mortar.
c21.s1.2
Within the shrine is a seated image of Harihara—a dual deity representing both Śiva and Viṣṇu in one, the vertical half of one god being joined to the vertical half of the other. It is much larger than life size. In the right hands are the emblems of Śiva while the left hold those of Viṣṇu. The image of Harihara is of very rare occurrence, either within or upon the outside of temples. In the closed *maṇḍapa* is an *aṣṭadikpāla* ceiling, in the central panel of which was an image of Harihara, but this has been taken out and has been set up in a small shrine at the back of the temple.
c21.s1.3
In the same enclosure, to the north of the great temple, and detached from it, is an image of Mahiṣāsura-mardanī. Standing around about these temples are a number of old Kanarese inscribed slabs.
c21.s1.4
The temple is said to have been built by Polālva, a minister of the Hoysaḷa king Narasimha II. in A.D. 1224. This temple has already been described and illustrated in Mr. Rea's *Chālukyan Architecture*, published by the Madras Government, 1896.