The Chalukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c26.s1.1

c26.s1.1

HIRE-KURUVATTI is a fairly large village on the Bellary side of the Tuṅgabhadrā river, about 20 miles to the north-west of Harihar. The old temple of Mallikārjuna, in the village, is fairly complete, but a thick incrustation of whitewash has completely disfigured the śikhara, which appears to be the original tower with its kalaśa. Upon the walls is some of that beautiful work seen on the large temple at Ittagi. Above the principal niches on the outer walls of the shrine, we find complete little model shrines, and not the śikhara only as in most other temples. The little walls have their own tiny niche and image (Plate CVIII), and the śikhara, here, is a purely Chālukyan one. Encircling this, and forming a graceful cusped arch, is some very elegant scrollwork issuing from the jaws of a makara upon either side. These are splendid specimens of the conventional makara¹; the work is very delicately chiselled, the makaras' tails of flowing arabesque standing out free from the walls. A new pattern of wall pilaster has been introduced, which is very neat.