Bandalike Trimurthinarayana Temple, Karnataka

Address

Bandalike Trimurthinarayana Temple, Shankrikoppa, Karnataka 577428

Diety

Trimurthinarayana

Introduction

Trimurthinaryana temple is located in the Bandalike village, Shimoga Taluk, Shikaripur, Karnataka state, India. Trimurtinarayana, dated to 1160 AD is the largest temple at Bandalike. This is a trikutachala (triple-shrined) temple of the Chalukyan period. The superstructure on the northern and southern cells are intact whereas that on the western one has collapsed, Known for its elegance and symmetry, this temple in east-west orientation has Siva-linga in the western and southern cells while the northern cell has a figure of Vishnu. All the three cells have vestibules with ornamental doorways flanked by niches. The western cell has well sculptured simhalalata at its sukanasi. The elevation of the temple is austere. The wall is relieved by niches surmounted by turrets and slender pilasters. The structures over the garbhagrihas has the typical tritala arpita carrying a square sikhara devoid of finials and a prominent sukhanasa projection.

Puranic Significance

Bandalike or Bandanike of the inscriptions, was an important town of Nagarakhanda-70 of the Kadamba kings. It was a wellknown centre of Kalamukha sect. The importance of the place is well attested by the lithic records of the Rashtrakutas (circa 7th- 8th century AD), later Chalukyas (circa 11th -12th century AD), Kalachuris, Hoysalas (circa 12th century AD), Seunas (circa 13th century AD) and Vijayanagara (circa 15th –16th century AD). It was a prosperous centre in the 11th and 12th enturies during the period of the Chalukyas of Kalyana. This strcuture looks like a peeled orange. Plan to create a Trikutachala was abandoned long before the outer layer of decorative layer of sculpted slabs were put in place.