Karnataka's Khajuraho - Bagali

The Kalleshwara Temple Complex

 Bagali is a small village located in the Harapanahalli taluk of Davangere district now moved to Bellary/Ballari district. The Kalleshwara temple here is considered to be one of the rare temples of India. Unique in its style and appearance, it is popularly regarded as Karnataka's Khajuraho. There are very few temples in India where the goddess and god of love (Rathi and Manmatha) are carved as Dwarapalakas. Here one can see the beautifully carved images of them guarding the temple. This temple was built during  the 9th century AD by the Rashtrakutas which later underwent modifications under the reign of Chalukyas and the Hoysalas.  

Pillared Alley

Lathe Turned Pillar

Heavily Decked Door Jamb

Exquisitely Carved Lintel 

Temple Priest Feeding the Royal Elephant

Dwarf Drummer

Lord Bramha,Vishnu and Maheshwara

The Goddess and God of Love (Rati and Manmatha)

  Bagali is referred to as Baguli and was one of the capitals during the  rule of Hoysala King Ballala II. However, to a large extent the credit of building this temple goes to the Western Chalukyan king Vikramaditya VI. The main temple of Kalleshwara is extensively carved and has been built to perfection. The open Sabha mantapa/ Natya mantapa of the temple has 59 exquisitely carved pillars and none are similar. The four central pillars are the most beautiful with the detailing on them being parallel to none. While the ceilings of the mantapa are beautifully carved, the door-jambs are very skillfully executed and go on to serve as the perfect examples of Chalukyan architecture. 

Sundari

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  Lord Ganesha

Killing of King Hiranyakaship

 Lord Shiva in the form of a big Linga is worshiped here even today. Many small shrines  dedicated to various gods are present around this temple. While major portion of the temple exteriors remain simple, the upper portion is adorned with reliefs of erotica. Though the erotic carvings beat that of Khajuraho in number (in depicting the various postures), they are far from being as perfect. With 62 carvings, it stands proudly as one housing the largest collection of erotica images. The prototypes of these images were taken to Paris for further examination as  a part of study and are now a part of the Paris Museum.

Erotica

The Water Source

Extensively Carved Hero Stone

The Temple Complex

 Related Posts:
1. Kanakuppa Fort, Near Jagalur