Kuruvathi Shri Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple – Karnataka

Address

Kuruvathi Shri Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple – Karnataka

Karnataka 583217

Moolavar

Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy

Introduction

Shri Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple is around 900 years old, built in Western Chalukya architecture style also known as Kalyani Chalukya. The temple is located in the Kuruvati village, Hoovina Hadagali taluk, Vijayanagara District, Karnataka, India. This temple is on the bank of Tungabhadra river, 10 km from Halavagalu and 2 km from Mylara and 36 km from Ranebennur and 326 km from Bangalore.

Puranic Significance

Kalyani Chalukya or Later Chalukya architecture is the distinctive style of ornamented architecture that evolved during the rule of the Western Chalukya Empire in the Tungabhadra region of central Karnataka, India, during the 11th and 12th centuries. Chalukyan temples fall into two categories — the first being temples with a common mantapa (a colonnaded hall) and two shrines (known as dvi kuta) and the second being temples with one mantapa and a single shrine (eka kuta). Since the contribution of Kalyani Chalukya had very great prominence during his reign (Chalukya dynasty), the Lord Shri Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple is now under the protection of the Archeological Department.

Lord Shiva who killed the demons at this place and revealed himself in a form of Lingam and is known as Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy. This shrine belongs to Eka kuta category which consists of a Mahamantapa, three Navaranga connecting the sanctum and outer Mandapa and a Rangamantapa, three Dwaar and a Garbhagriha. These three Navaranga have Mahamantapas that are fabulous and spectacularly incarnated by Kalyani Chalukya and this in turn leads us to Sukanasi. This Sukanasi finally leads us to Garbhagriha where Lord Shiva resides. The Shiva Lingam is of 4 feet height.

The Rangamantapa has 12 pillars which are triangular in all three directions and is 8 feet high and 4 feet wide, where we can find Lord Ganesha who is 5 feet tall and Lord Subramanya, Karnataka along with Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy. The ornate pillars that support the roof of the mandapa are monolithic shafts from the base up to the neck of the capital. There are three entrances. Each of th ese dwaars is beautifully incarnated with the traditional design that influences the Western Chalukya architecture. The Goddess Sri Bhuvaneshwari’s idol is beautifully incarnated on the Main Dwaar.