Sri Galaganaatha Gudi / Sri Galaganatha Temple / காலகநாதர் கோயில், Pattadakal, Bagalkot District, Karnataka.

The visit to this Sri Galaganatha Temple at Pattadakal was a part of the “Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal, Mahakuta and Aihole temples Heritage visit” organized by வரலாறு விரும்பிகள் சங்கம் Varalaru Virumbigal Sangam – VVS and எண்திசை வரலாற்று மரபுநடைக்குழு,  between 24^th December to 28^th December 2022. I extend my sincere thanks to the organizers Mrs. Radha, Mrs. Nithya Senthil Kumar, and Mr. Senthil Kumar.

This Pattadakal temple complex is on the banks of river Malaprabha, comprises nine temples near to one another in a row and from north to south as follows…..

1. Sri Kadasiddhesvara Temple

2. Sri Jambulinga Temple

3. Sri Galaganatha Temple

4. Sri Chandrasekhara Temple

5. Sri Sangamesvara Temple

6. Sri Kasi Visvesvara Temple

7. Sri Mallikarjuna Temple

8. Sri Virupaksha Temple

9. Sri Papanatha Temple  (This temple is 200 meters away from Virupaksha Temple on the south side).

காலகநாதர் கோயில்

ஜம்புலிங்கேஸ்வரர் கோயிலுக்கு கிழக்கு பக்கத்தில் இருக்கும் இந்த கோயில் 7ஆம் நூற்றாண்டின் பிற்பகுதியில் ஆட்சி புரிந்த வினயாதித்தர் காலத்தில் கட்டப்பட்டதாக கருதப்படுகிது. இந்த கோயிலும் நாகர வகையை சேர்ந்தது. முக மண்டபத்தின் அடித்தள சுவடுகள் மட்டுமே இப்போது உள்ளது. கருவறை, ப்ரதிக்ஷணப்பாதை / சுற்றுப்பாதை / circumambulatory path ஆகிய பகுதிகளை உள்ளடக்கிய கட்டுமானங்களுடன் இந்த கோயில் காணப்படுகிறது. கருவறை உள்ளே லிங்க திருமேனி காணப்படுகிறது. இடப வாகனமும் உள்ளது. வாயிலில் நதிப்பெண்களான கங்கை, யமுனை சாமரம் / கவரி ஏந்தியவாறு காணப்படுகின்றனர். இந்த கோயிலின் விமானம், மேலே சிகரம் மற்றும் கலசமும் காணப்படுகிறது. மிகவும் சிதைந்து விட்ட இந்த கோயிலின் தெற்கு கோட்டத்தில் எண் கரம் உடைய சிவன் அந்தகாசுரனை குலாயுதத்தால் குத்தி சம்காரம் சிற்பம் காணப்படுகின்றது. சிவனின் உடலில் கபால மாலையே முப்புரி நூலாக உள்ளது. பஞ்சதந்திர கதைகளுள் ஒரு சில இங்கே புடைப்பு சிற்பங்களாக காணப்படுகின்றன. குபேரன், கஜலக்ஷ்மி இவர்களின் குறுஞ் சிற்பங்களும் இங்கு உள்ளது. கருவறை நுழைவாயிலுக்கு மேலே நடராஜரின் சிற்பம் உள்ளது. தெலுங்கானா மாநிலம் அலம்பூர் பிரம்மா கோயிலின் பிரதி / நகல் கோயிலாக கட்டப்பட்டதாக இக்கோயில் பார்க்கப்படுகிறது.

ARCHITECTURE

In front of the Jambulinga Temple, a few meters away is the magnificent Sri Galaganatha temple an exemplary typical example of the rekha-nagara model. The sikhara in particular is the most imposing of the extant temples of this form. Originally it comprised a mukha-mandapa pillared sabha-mandapa and a garbha-griha with closed pradakshina-patha all raised on jagati (platform), an architectural component found only in this temple. The first two architectural components down to the level of the jagati had disappeared exposing the north-south cross-section of the garbha- griha raised on the moulded adhistana, the sandhara- pradakshina-patha on the sides, the outer sidewalls, and the ghana-dvaras of the temple. A little below the exterior central deva-kosta of the garbha-griha is a series of five square boxes at regular intervals containing miniature figures such as the monkey and the wedge of the Panchatantra story, double-headed eagle (ganda bherunda), etc. The mukha-patti on the front side of the sikhara is also dilapidated. The richly ornate dwara-bandha of the Pancha sakha order, with Natya-Siva in the lalata of the lintel, is of superb workmanship.

What is particularly noteworthy in the temple is the ghana-dwaras each on the south, west, and north. The western and the northern are missing. The southern ghana-dwvara exhibits a colossal sculpture of eight armed Siva in the Andhakasurari form (the destroyer of Andhakasura, a demon). The front pillars rather slender and ornate, are of ghata-pallava order.

The high curvilinear sikhara rather squatish, comprises four bhumis marked by the karna-amalaka and has a vertically bold jalaka of laced tiny niches. At the top is the amalaka crowned with the kalasa. On the whole, this architectural model is similar in type to the Visva Brahma temple in Alampur Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

In particular, the Sri Galaganatha Temple seems to be a little later than the Kadasiddhesvara Temple and the Jambulinga Temple since the ground plan of the Galaganatha Temple almost abuts the mukha mandapa of the Jambulinga Temple. Even though the Early Chalukyan style and characteristic features are evident in the Kashi Visvesvara Temple, the occurrence of the diminutive niches, rigidity in the human forms of the narrative panels on the pillars, etc. indicate a late date to the temple. Most of the early Chalukyan features such as fluidity and dynamism in the sculptural depictions and in the dvara-bandhas are less conspicuous. The temple may be dated to the early ninth century.

POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHALUKYA DYNASTY

Jayasimha, a Chalukya King probably the founder, carved out a region and ruled. He was immediately followed by Ranaraga who expanded and consolidated the kingdom. However, not much is known about these two Chalukyan kings. It was Pulakesi-I, the third king in the genealogical line, who made Badami, the capital of the kingdom in 543 CE and built a fort on the top of what is now known as the North Hill. His son, Kirtivarma (1) with the assistance of Mangalesa his younger brother, conquered the neighboring kingdoms of the Kadambas in the southwest, the Mauryas of the Konkana, the Kalachuris, etc,.  It was his celebrated grandson Pulakesi-II who extended the political boundaries of the kingdom far and wide from Narmada to Kaveri. He installed his younger brothers Jayasimhavarma in the north comprising the Gujarat region and Kubja Vishnuvardhana in the eastern division while he ruled the central part from Badami. However, he met with a crushing defeat at the hands of Pallava Narasimhvarman of Kanchi in 642 CE. Badami was 'terra incognito' for the next twelve years. In 654 CE,  Vikramaditya - I, Pulakesi's son, succeeded in re-conquering the kingdom from the Pallavas. The kingdom grew further and was prosperous, strong, and generally peaceful under the next three rulers in succession namely: Vinayaditya, Vijayaditya, and Vikramaditya- II despite their frequent, successful wars particularly with their arch enemy, the Pallavas others in the north. Kirtivarman- II, the son of Vikramaditya-II though capable and experienced in wars and administration, succumbed to the 756 CE onslaught by Dantidurga, the Rashtrakuta chief ruling the Ellora region. This ended the Badami Chalukyan rule. The Badami region thus became a part of the Rashtrakuta kingdom.

By 973 CE the Chalukyas till then keeping a low profile at the appropriate occasion seized and rose to power supplanting the Rashtrakutas. Later Kalyana in Bidar district, Karnataka had the fortune of becoming the capital of the kingdom and continued to be so till the ruling dynasty fell in about 1189 CE. However, Pattadakal gained some importance by becoming the headquarters of an administrative division known as Kisukadu 70 ruled by Nolamba Pallava Permanadi Singhanadeva as mandalika (feudatory) under Someshvara II, Bhuvanaikamalla, the Chalukyan king, around 1070 CE and hundred years later by Chavumda II of the Sindha family, a mandalika to Noormadi Taila- III the Chalukiyan king. Chavumda’s senior queen  Demaladevi and their son Achideva under his position as prince were then enjoying  Pattadakal.

Ref

1. A Handbook on World Heritage Series Badami, published by Archaeological  Survey of India. 

2. A Handbook on Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal & Aihole issued by VVS in Tamil. 

3. Temple architecture and Art of Early Chalukyas Badami, Pattadakal, Mahakuta, Aihole by George Michell.

HOW TO REACH

Pattadakal Group of temples are  13 km from Aihole,  17 km from Badami, and 459 km from Bengaluru.

The nearest Railway Station is Badami. 

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---