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The Chalukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c29: Gadag

The Chālukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c29

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English

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Gadag

The Temples of Trikūṭēśvara and Sarasvatī

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THESE two temples stand close beside each other, within the same enclosed courtyard, in the southern quarter of the town of Gadag. The temple of Trikūṭēśvara as originally built, was a double temple like that of Kāśiviśvēśvara at Lakkuṇḍi. It consists of the principal shrine, facing east, with a small closed hall before it, together with a larger open hall in front of this again. In continuation of this is a second smaller shrine facing the first. Between the two halls were entrances into the temple, but that on the north side has been closed up by a small shrine that has been built against it. The larger hall belongs to the smaller shrine on the east, and it is possible that the larger western shrine was built after the other and against it. But the original western shrine, which is about the same size as the other, is not seen from outside, for it has been built around with a later wall to form a closed-in *pradakshiṇa*, or circumambulatory passage around the outside of the older shrine walls (Plates CXVI—CXXII).

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Within the western or principal shrine, upon one *śaluṅkā*, are three *liṅgas* in a line, and it is from this fact that the temple takes its name of Trikūṭēśvara, the ‘Lord of the three peaks’ or *piṇḍis*. This is repeated in the additional small shrine on the north, but the eastern shrine contains a throne upon which an image once stood, the feet of which remain. The interior of the temple is very plain, the only work of any note being a very neat *kīrtimukha* doorstep before the entrance to the closed hall.

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The exterior walls of the large pillared hall claim special attention. That portion, which in other temples is generally open, that is the part between the top of the parapet walls and the beams under the cornice, is here closed in with richly chased diaper-pattern stone screens. The surface is divided into scrolls with little figures within them. Each alternate square, in each alternate row, is perforated, some having little lozenge flowers left in them. The top part of the parapet or basement, immediately below this, has a slope outwards, it being the back of the seat which runs round the hall inside, and is decorated with panels containing figures which are separated from one another by pairs of little pilasters, while above them runs a scroll band. Beneath this, and separated from it by a row of little śikharas, are similar panels of sculpture, separated by single pilasters; and, under these, again, are the usual basement mouldings as found in nearly all Cālukyan temples. Among the little images in these panels, many of which stand almost detached from the wall, are Bhairava, Narasiṃha, Lakṣmī, Gaṇapati, Śiva, Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa, Mahiṣāsuramardanī, dancing figures, musicians, ascetics and elephants. These Brahmanical images clearly show that the temple could not have been originally Jaina as has been supposed.

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The deep overhanging cornice of the hall, like most cornices of this period, is, in section, a cyma reversa curve, while that of the adjacent small temple of Sarasvatī is a perfectly straight cornice. The mouldings above the cornice are made up of the usual string courses of little lions and chaitya-window ornaments, which surmount the walls of most Cālukya halls.

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The spire is a late addition of brick, mortar and whitewash, and the Nandi, on the front, is also made up of these materials. Successive coats of whitewash have almost entirely obliterated the fine tracery upon the jambs of the doorways.

The Temple of Sarasvatī

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Some of the best work in this group is to be found in the neighbouring small temple of Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, which stands on the south side of Trikūṭeśvara and close to it, facing north. On the outside of the temple there is not much calling for special notice beyond the remains of a very neat basement round the hall, but the pillars within claim particular attention, since they are most beautiful specimens of Cālukyan work. The four central ones, supporting the beams of the central compartment of the ceiling of the open hall, are of one pattern, the rest being in pairs. These four rise straight from the floor to the roof; the others stand upon the surrounding low wall or seat. Each of the central pillars is moulded from the ground to about half way up the shaft with the same horizontal mouldings as are usually found on the basement of the walls of richly-finished shrines. The shaft rises from a square with recessed corners to an octagon and thence to the round at the thinnest part of the shaft, near the neck below the capital. The lower member of the capital is a flattened disc, surmounted by a larger spreading octagonal member. All the mouldings, up to the capital, are profusely decorated. The facets on the bases and the octagonal sides have well-cut little figures, but these have been much injured. The little groups on the octagon represent the aṣṭadikpālas, which are so often repeated, in some way or another, in these temples. The hanging festoon of beads, above these, is also a favourite bit of detail, which is very elegant and appropriate to its position. The bracket, above the capital, which supports the ends of the cross beams, is also richly wrought; and the little square flower, with the deep incisions between each, makes, when repeated as it is here, an exceedingly neat string course ornament (Plate CXVIII).

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The pair of pillars in advance of these, which stand on the corners of the stone seat, one on each side of the entrance, are the most elaborately worked of all; and there are, perhaps, no other pillars throughout the whole extent of Cālukyan handicraft left to us which are equal to these for the crowded abundance of minute work which covers their surfaces. The ornament consists of repetitions of miniature shrines, tiny pilasters, panels containing Liliputian gods, goddesses and attendants, rampant lions, and a host of other detail.

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The little pilasters are worked out in all their *minutiæ* as completely as they would have been on their full scale; and the figures which fill all the little panels, some of which are no more than an inch or two in height, are carved in high relief, and are almost detached from the pillar. They are adorned with necklets, bracelets, anklets, and a profusion of other jewellery, each bead and jewel being fashioned with the most careful and delicate touch. Here, again, we find the same brackets over the capital, but even more fully decorated than those above the first pillars described. The scroll forming a band along the top of these is very effective, being so deeply cut that the dark shadows of the interstices contrast sharply with the high lights of the design.

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Although these pillars are so elaborately carved, yet, for good taste, the ornament is far too crowded with detail; and so, in contrast with them, stand the other pillars beside them. The various patterns of pillars in this little temple are so totally different in treatment that, had they been found isolated, they would have suggested different periods or widely different localities. The pillars of the third pair are not copies of any stereotyped pattern, for, as far as I know, they are not met with again within the limits of Chālukyan work in the Bombay Presidency. The great charm about them is the beautiful diaper pattern around their shafts, of which there is just sufficient to make us wish for more. It is a simple lozenge-shaped diaper, each division being filled with a flower; and the deeply-cut channels between each, making the flower-cubes stand out in sharp relief, enhance the crisp effect of the work.

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The ceiling of the hall, or what remains of it, is particularly worthy of notice. It is a close copy of a purely wooden construction translated into stone, line upon line. It rises above the square space between the central four pillars, and, in section, it is vaulted. Deep

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Fig. 33.—Basement wall of Sarasvatī temple, Gadag.

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ribs cross and recross each other, and, from their intersections, hang lotus buds as pendants. Running round the principal ribs are square connecting bars, completely detached from the rest of the roof. The illustrations will explain the arrangement better than description (Plate CXXII). What was, no doubt, the prettiest feature of all, the central pendant, has, unfortunately, been broken away.

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The simple decoration of the outside of the basement wall surrounding the hall is exceedingly neat and effective, and is in marked contrast with the overloaded walls of Trikūṭēśvara (Fig. 33). There is quite as lavish a display of ornamental detail in this little temple as there is in the other, but it is generally applied with better judgment and taste. The simple, straight-lined cornice adds to its general appearance; it is lighter and more graceful than the heavier curved cornice which was so much used.

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Within the shrine is an image of Sarasvatī seated upon a high pedestal or throne but sadly mutilated, having her four arms lopped off at the elbows. Her image has already been described in the Introductory Note (Fig. 3).

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Amongst the inscriptions collected together at the temple of Trikūṭēśvara, and now permanently built into the wall of the courtyard, one records a grant made in A.D. 1062 to the god Trikūṭēśvaradeva in the time of the Western Chālukyan king Āhavamalladēva II. A second records a grant in A.D. 1101, and has the emblems of a *liṅga*, a priest and a bull. A third is dated in A.D. 1193, and relates to the Hoysaḷa dynasty. It is a grant of Vīra Ballaḷadēva who, having wrested the country from the Yādava dynasty of Dēvagiri, had fixed upon Lokkiguṇḍi (Lakkuṇḍi) as his capital. In this inscription, which begins with an invocation to Viṣṇu, it is stated "they have named the god Trikūṭēśvara on account of his three stationary *liṅgas*, and they call him Chatuhkūṭēśvara because of one more which is capable of motion" (perhaps the priest). A fourth records a grant by the prime minister of the Hoysaḷa king Vīra Ballaḷadēva in A.D. 1199, the emblems upon it being a *liṅga*, a priest and a bull. A fifth speaks of the *agrahāra* (lands or villages conferred upon Brāhmaṇs for religious purposes) village of Kratuka (Gadag) in the Beḷvola Three-hundred. It records a grant made in A.D. 1213 to the god Trikūṭēśvara while the Yādava king Siṅghaṇadēva was reigning. And, lastly, there is an inscription recording a grant by a Vijayanagara king, dated in A.D. 1539.¹

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¹ *Indian Antiquary*, II, 295 et seq.

The Temple of Sōmēśvara

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This temple, which, at some period in the distant past, had been desecrated, and consequently abandoned as a regular place of worship, has, of late years, been used to house a small private school. It is situated in the middle of the town not far from the police *chāvaḍi*. It is a good specimen of a fully developed Chālukyan temple, but has lost its forward open hall, if, indeed, it was ever built, together with the cornice over the south porch and the upper storey of its tower. It is fully decorated, but, although the ornament itself is rich and good, it is far too crowded, especially over the basement, for good taste. The architects were fond of the frequent repetition of detail, and indulged in this propensity of theirs to its utmost extent. The pilasters along the walls, with the constantly repeated niches and miniature *śikharas* become almost painfully monotonous, while the string courses of high lights and deep shadows in the basement run round the whole building with the most perfect regularity (Plates CXIX and CXXI).

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The doorways are richly decorated, the eastern one being more so than the southern, but neither so elaborately as those of Kāśiviśvēśvara at Lakkuṇḍi. Over the outer eastern doorway is Gaja-Lakṣmī; over the others are images of Śiva, but so roughly and clumsily cut that it is possible they are the handiwork of the Liṅgāyats.

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Upon either side of the antechamber doorway there has been a panel of fine flowing perforated arabesque, but most of it has been broken away, and the rest is covered with dirty oil which has dried and caked all over the surface.

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The ceiling of the southern porch is beautifully worked. On the south side of the shrine, projecting from the wall outside, is a very neat little basin, into which the water flows out from the washing of the *liṅga* by a channel through the wall. But this is not the usual side for the exit for water from the *liṅga*, which should be on the north. It is quite likely, therefore, that this *liṅga* is not the original occupant of the shrine (Plate CXXII).

The Temple of Rāmēśvara

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Close beside the temple of Sōmēśvara, and parallel with it, but very much shut in by houses, is the temple of Rāmēśvara, of exactly the same style and plan as the other. Only three courses of the spire remain which are similar to the last. The walls between the basement and the eaves are very plain, and are only relieved by simple perpendicular panelling.

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