Brahmesvara Temple

Balambeedu is 14 kms, from Hanagal, the taluk headquarters. Inscriptions refer to this place as "Ballareya Beedu". The Kalmesvara temple is a structure of 11th to 12th centuries AD. built facing east. This temple on plan has a garbhagriha, an antarala, a navaranga and a sabhamantapa. The garbhagriha houses a linga. Above the doorframe of the antarala are the reliefs of Brahma, Mahesvara and Vishnu. The navaranga has five devakosthas. Among them two have the friezes of Saptamatrikas, one has the figure of Ganapati and in another the image of Kartikeya. The navaranga has lathe - turned and polished pillars. These pillars have delicate carvings besides the major bell - moulding in the centre. The open sabhamantapa has 16 pillars. In front of the sabhamantapa is the mukhamantapa. Kalmesvara was originally named as Brahmesvara. Another inscription of 1165 AD records the grant of taxes to Brahmesvara temple attached to Chikkesvara temple of Ballareya Beedu. There is no temple by name Chikkesvara in this place. The Ramesvara temple nearby is older than the Brahmesvara temple. It is possible that the maintenance of the Brahmesvara temple was assigned to the Ramesvara temple. In dimensions the Brahmesvara temple is bigger than Ramesvara. Therefore the later inscriptions, it appears, refer to Ramesvara as Chikkesvara. The wall built above the adhisthana is plain and simple. The garbhagriha has a two storeyed shikara above, and provided with a sukanasa. The Inscriptions of this place refer to this temple as Boladevaragudi. An epigraph of 1123 AD states that Mahaprabhu Bammagavunda got the Brahmesvara temple built at the village Ballareya beedu. From this it becomes clear that the present.