Kalgi Neelakantha Kaleshwara Temple, Karnataka

Address

Kalgi Neelakantha Kaleshwara Temple Kalaburagi, Kalgi Karnataka 585312

Diety

Neelakantha Kaleshwara

Introduction

Kalgi is a village in Chittapur taluk, Gulbarga district. It is about 35 kilometers east of Gulbarga city near the Telangana-Karnataka border. Kalgi village was once much bigger and a major Deccan city in and before the Western Chalukya era. Karnataka has a lot of ancient monuments that are part of its rich architectural tradition and sculptural heritage. But many of them remain unsung and unprotected group of Hindu temples and Jain monasteries in Kalgi in Karnataka’s Gulbarga District has more than 30 monuments datable to the Later Chalukya period. Many of them are now in a dilapidated state. The Neelakantha Kaleshwara has some very remarkable images of Apsaras. These sculptures have graceful, rhythmic and delicate standing poses. It appears as if their postures are frozen during dance movements. Some of these sculptures have inscriptions engraved right above their heads, which are directly connected to the Apsara figures. The inscriptions have compositions in praise of God Neelakantheshwara.

Puranic Significance

Inscriptions found here date from 1043 CE to the 13th Century CE, and refer to the Kalyan Chalukya kings Satyashraya, Vikramaditya VI and Jagadekamalla. The Kalyan Chalukyas patronised prolific construction activities during their rule in the 10th-13th centuries. The temples at Kalgi were built between the 11th and 12th centuries. They constitute a genre of architectural excellence and sculptural exuberance. They also evolved with the unique narratives of Ragamala sculptures that stand as precedents. the important temples at Kalgi. The Neelakantha Kaleshwara is a living temple and has gone through. The Neelakantha Kaleshwara temple doesn’t have a jagati (platform) while the other temples have raised adhisthanas and jagatis. The majority of the temples in Kalgi are very badly preserved