Tarakeshwara Temple, Hangal

Karnataka, Haveri, Bengaluru

Tarakeshwara temple is is a Hindu temple complex dedicated to Shiva as Tarakeswara located in Hangal, Karnataka, in India. It is located at the left bank of the River Dharma and is about 75 kms from the Hubli - Dharwad. It also houses a temple to Shiva's vahana, Nandi and his son Ganesha. The complex is a listed monument of the Archaeological Survey of India. The earliest known dynasty to have ruled the town of Hangal was the Kadamba. The Tarakeshwara temple was the most significant contribution of the Kadamba to the history of the town. With Jainism gaining massive appeal in the region in the 12th century, this temple became the bastion for the Shaivites. However, the town and the temple came into prominence during the rule of KalyanaChalukyas who were the most powerful in the Deccan during their period.KalyanaChalukyas were famous for their typical style of temples. The Chalukyas made massive architectural innovations and additions to the temple, stamping the impression of the popular Western Chalukya art to the temple.

Legend

The town of Hangal is believed to be the Viratnagar in the epic Mahabharat. Viratnagar is the place where the Pandavas took shelter in disguise during their Ajnatavas.

Architecture

A fine example of the Chalukya style of architecture, this temple is built with grey-green chloritic schist and has intrinsically carved walls and ceilings. The major attraction of the temple is in the main hall which has a large domical ceiling in the form of a lotus.The ceiling rise in concentric circles towards the centre, making patterns of the folds, and then drops down again as it reaches the apex. This gives the appearance of a bloomed lotus. The gathering hall has 8 supporting pillars arranged in octagonal shape and has carvings of various gods. The images on the walls depict scenes from the epic Ramayana. It is interesting to note that the temple which is most prominently known for its architectural beauty also has a subtle element of engineering excellence associated with it. For instance, the pillars of the main hall are lathe turned. The bell-shaped sections on the pillars are also work of lathe. Adjacent to the main hall is another 12-pillared hall which goes by the name Nandi Pavilion. The Nandi pavilion also has a leaning balcony setting. Both these halls have stepped pyramidal outer roof. The outer walls of the temple are designed with Shikaras (a type of boat found in the Dal Lake) in the Dravidian and Nagara style. The Ganesha temple located to the north-east of the Tarakeshwara temple and has been built in the Nagara style. The rarity of this temple lies in the fact that it has elements of different forms of architecture, mixed into a magnificent creation. One can only stand in awe at the beautifully balanced collaboration of various styles of architecture teaching us volumes of our glorious medieval history.

Picture courtesy: commons.wikimedia.org

Darsan Info

Temple timings : 6:00 A.M To 6:00 P.M

Darsan Dresscode

Clean and conservative clothing is preferred.

Culture

Haveri district has a very rich culture and tradition. A core area of Western Chalukya architectural activity, Haveri epitomizes the rich culture and heritage of a bygone era with historical temples surrounded the place. A peacock sanctuary, a black buck sanctuary and old tanks all add up to the rich culture.