Unkal Chandramouleshwara Temple, Karnataka

Address

Hubli Chandramouleshwara Temple Sai Nagar, Unkal Hubli, Karnataka 580031

Diety

Chandramouleshwara

Introduction

The Chandramouleshwar Temple in Hubli City, Unkal area (probably, historically named as Unukallu), is a 900 year old temple built during the Badami Chalukyan era. It is situated near Unkal circle, Unkal Lake Unkal is an area in the Hubli-Dharwad municipality in Karnataka. It is on old Pune – Bangalore highway NH4, about 3 km north of Hubli city centre. The beautiful, natural, scenic Unkal Lake is located in this area. The Chandramouleshwar temple is dedicated to lord Shiva. It houses two big Shivalingas. The main shrine has four entrances in all the four directions. The presiding deity of the shrine, Lord Chandramouleshwar faces east. The other Linga is known as Chaturmukha Linga, literally meaning the four faced Linga. The temple remains open from sunrise to sunset.

Puranic Significance

Chandramouleshwar is estimated to be a 900-year-old temple from the Badami Chalukyan era. Chalukyas built this temple in the 11th – 12th century. It was built on the lines of Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal temples. Fables say that the Chalukyans wanted to boast their architectural prowess and wealth to their enemies. To do so, the Chalukyans commissioned anonymous artisans to build this temple overnight. But, the artisans couldn’t complete the work within a night and the temple structure remains incomplete. According to some folklore, the sculptor Jaknacharya and his son built this temple. It is a Monument of National importance and is designated as a Protected Monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites Act (1958) by Archaeological Survey of India