Chaudayyadanapur is a small village in Ranebennur taluk of

Haveri District Haveri is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. As of 2011, it had a population of 1,597,668, out of which 20.78% were urban residents. The district headquarters is Haveri. Name of the place Haveri is derived from two Kannada words "Ha ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...

state of India. All facets of Indian civilisation (religion, art and poetry) are exemplified in an exquisite Mukteshwara temple, with the highest degree of refinement.

Introduction

Shivapur, the old name of Chaudadanapur (Chaudayyadanapur) saint, a 12th-century social reformer Basaveshwar, donated this village to Ambigara Chaudayya (a boatman). So the name is Chaudayyadanapur or Chaudadanapur. The temple of Mukteshwar at Chaudayyadanapur in Ranebennur Taluk is a beautiful representative of the style and the high culture of that time.

The Mukteshwar Temple

The Mukteshwar Temple is a single cella temple in Jakkanachari style. Similar temples were built under the patronage of Kalachuris of Kalyani or

Seuna The Seuna, Sevuna, or Yadavas of Devagiri (IAST: Seuṇa, –1317) was a Medieval Indian dynasty, which at its peak ruled a kingdom stretching from the Narmada river in the north to the Tungabhadra river in the south, in the western part of t ...

dynasties. This temple is a jewel of architecture of the 11th–12th centuries. It was built during the heyday of the kingdom ruled by the Kalyani Chalukyas and the

Seunas The Seuna, Sevuna, or Yadavas of Devagiri (IAST: Seuṇa, –1317) was a Medieval Indian dynasty, which at its peak ruled a kingdom stretching from the Narmada river in the north to the Tungabhadra river in the south, in the western part of t ...

of Devagiri. It is dedicated to an Udbhava (spontaneously born)

Lingam A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary '' murti'' or devoti ...

named Mukteshwar. The dome of the temple is hollow and is closed by the slabs of the stupi. Shikhara of the Mukteshwara temple is 2.2 m in its axis at the base. The stupi is made of three beautiful lotiform mouldings diminishing in size and a lotus bud with its base.

Kannada inscriptions

History

The history of Mukteshwar Temple at Chaudayyadanapur is known through seven inscriptions in medieval

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

, engraved on large steles. They provide information on the local rulers, kings of Guttala (

Gupta Gupta () is a common surname or last name of Indian origin. It is based on the Sanskrit word गोप्तृ ''goptṛ'', which means 'guardian' or 'protector'. According to historian R. C. Majumdar, the surname ''Gupta'' was adopted by sev ...

ascendancy), on some constructions in the temple complex, on diverse donations to the deity. They provide the details on a prominent religious leaders. Inscriptions introduce Muktajiyar, a Lakulasaiva saint, and Shivadeva, a Virashaiva saint, who entered the place on 19 August 1225 and led there a long life of renunciation, asceticism and spiritual elevation. The legacy of this age of intense

Shaivism Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

is a jewel of architecture and sculpture.

Conservation and restoration

Narasimha temple Narasapura near Chaudayyadanapura 3

There is a need of immediate conservation and restoration for the Narasimha temple Narasapur.

References

External links

{{Hindu temples in Karnataka Cities and towns in Haveri district Chalukya dynasty Western Chalukya Empire