Kasi Vishweshwara Temple Kasi Vishwanatha Temple

Overview

Pattadakkal, known as the ‘City of the Crown Rubies’, is a World Heritage Site. It is famous for the Chalukya monuments and is a village situated in Karnataka, Bagalkot District on the banks of Malaprabha. It consists of ten temples, each of which displays interesting architectural features. Nine of the temples are Hindu and the remaining one is Jain. These 7th and 8th century monuments still stand tall with the passage of time and attract tourists in numbers. The state capital Bangalore is 514 km away, while Badami is 22 km and Aihole is about 10 km away from Pattadakkal.

About The Temple

Kasi Vishweshwara Temple belongs to the 8th century A.D. It was the last temple to be built in the early Chalukyan style at Pattadakkal. It contains a garbhagriha (sanctum) housing a lingam on a square pitha with a mandaba. To the east of mandaba is a plinth of a small entrance porch (mukha-mandaba) and further east there is a moulded basement of a Nandi-mandaba retaining two square pillars and an image of Nandi in the centre. Two carved brackets projecting from the eastern wall of the mandaba on either side above the entrance doorways also indicate the once existence of an entrance porch.

It is built on a high plinth with the five usual mouldings carved with the figures of horses, lions, elephants, peacocks, creeper-like designs and kudu motifs. A significant feature of the temple is that its outer walls are symmetrically done to form five projections (pancha-ratha) and recesses carried to the super structure. Except the eastern side, wall surfaces are relieved with pairs of pilasters. On the north wall of the mandaba there are sculptures of Ardhanarishwara and Kalabhairava housed in niches. On either side of the mandaba entrance the wall surface is relieved with miniature pavilions fashioned in the Dravidian (Southern) style. The cornice has chaitya-arches for decorative motif and the upper portions of the walls are embellished with dwarfs carrying garlands, keertimukhas and flying couples.

The mandaba has an ornate doorway with the river goddesses carved below. The lalatabimba on the lintel depicts Garuda holding tails of snakes. Naga in anjali-mudra (adorable pose) are seen near the river goddesses. The carvings on the pillars and pilasters of the mandaba depict episodes from the Bhagavatha and Shiva-puranas. Sculptures including themes like Ravana lifting Kailash, Kalyansundarmoorti, exploits of Krishna etc., testify to the narrative skill of the Chalukyan artists. The carved central ceiling panel of the mandaba depicts Shiva, Parvathi holding Karthikeya and Nandi, surrounded by the ashta-dikpalas. Lions carved on the beams appear to support the ceiling as it were. The doorway is similar to that of the mandaba and has Shaiva Dwarapalas (gate keeper) on either side.

Accessibility

Airport

The Bangalore Airport is the nearest.

Railways

The nearest railhead is Badami.

Road

Pattadakkal is linked with Badami by roads. Pattadakkal and has connectivity with other major locations by road.

Temple Address

Kasi Vishweshwara Temple / Kasi Vishwanatha Temple,
Pattadakkal,
Bagalkot, Karnataka,
India,
Pin code – 587201.