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Harihareshwara Temple is a Hindu temple situated in
The temple is constructed in a staggered square ''
File:Ornate lintel, door jamb and ceiling relief at entrance to inner mantapa in the Harihareshwara temple at Harihar.JPG, Ornate lintel, door jamb and ceiling relief at entrance to inner mantapa in the Harihareshwara temple at Harihar
File:Ceiling relief in outer mantapa in the Harihareshwara temple at Harihar.JPG, Ceiling relief in outer mantapa in the Harihareshwara temple at Harihar
File:Ornate door jamb relief at entrance to inner mantapa in the Harihareshwara temple at Harihar.JPG, Ornate door jamb relief at entrance to inner mantapa in the Harihareshwara temple at Harihar
File:Old Kannada inscriptions dated c.1171 (l) and c.1223 (r) in the Harihareshwara temple at Harihar.JPG, Old Kannada inscriptions dated c.1171 (l) and c.1223 (r) in the Harihareshwara temple at Harihar
File:Harihareshwara.JPG, Image of the Hindu god Harihara in the sanctum
Harihareshwara Temple is a Hindu temple situated in Harihar
Harihara ( also called ''Harihar'') is a city in Davanagere District in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Harihara Taluk. Harihara is famous for Harihareshwara temple, also known as "Dakshina Kashi", a ...
, 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, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
. The temple was built in c. 1223–1224 CE by Polalva, a commander and minister of the Hoysala Empire
The Hoysala Empire was a Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur, but was later moved ...
King Vira Narasimha II. In 1268 CE, Soma, a commander of King Narasimha III of the same dynasty made some additions. The temple houses the deity Harihara
Harihara (Sanskrit: हरिहर) is the fused sattvika characterisation of Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara) from Hindu theology. Hari is the form of Vishnu, and Hara is the form of Shiva. Harihara is also known as Shankaranarayana ("Shankara" ...
, a fusion of the Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
gods Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...
and Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one o ...
. The image of the deity is a fusion of the right vertical half of Shiva and left vertical half of Vishnu.Cousens (1926), p. 93 The image holds in its right hand, the attributes of Shiva and in the left hand, those of Vishnu.
Legend
According to a Hindu legend, ademon
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in Media (communication), media such as comics, video ...
named Guha (or Guhasura) once lived in these parts and a considerable surrounding region, from Uchchangi Durga in the east, Govinahalu in the south, Mudanur in the west and Airani in the north was under his control. Guha successfully appeased Hindu god Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp ...
with his penance and obtained a boon, by virtue of which, it would be impossible for either ''Hari'' (Vishnu) or ''Hara'' (Shiva) to singly kill him. Guha then became a regular tormentor of gods and humans alike. In order to overcome Brahma's boon and eliminate Guha, Vishnu and Shiva together took the form of Harihara (a fusion), came down to earth and killed the demon. The descent of the incarnation on earth is said to be at nearby Kudalur, at the confluence of the rivers Tungabhadra and Haridra.Rice B.L. (1897), p. 522
Temple plan
The temple is constructed in a staggered square ''mantapa
A mandapa or mantapa () is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals in Indian architecture, especially featured in Hindu temple architecture.
Mandapas are described as "open" or "closed" depending on whether they have walls. In temples, ...
'' (hall) plan, typical of Hoysala constructions. Therefore, the outer wall of the ''mantapa'' shows many projections and recesses.Foekema (1996), p. 22 The wall of the ''mantapa'' is a parapet wall resting on which are half pillars that support the outer ends of the roof (cornice
In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...
).Foekema (1996), p. 24 The ceiling of the open ''mantapa'' is adorned with artistic decoration such as lotuses. The ceiling is supported by lathe
A lathe () is a machine tool that rotates a workpiece about an axis of rotation to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, deformation, facing, and turning, with tools that are applied to the workpiece ...
turned full pillars. The material used for the temple is soapstone
Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in the ...
(also called potstone).Kamath 2001, p. 136 The original tower over the shrine (Vimana
Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also men ...
) is missing and has been replaced in modern times with one of brick and mortar. Preserved within the temple premises are several old-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 ...
inscriptions and hero stone
A hero stone (Vīragallu in Kannada, Naṭukal in Tamil) is a memorial commemorating the honorable death of a hero in battle. Erected between the second half of the first millennium BC and the 18th century AD, hero stones are found all over India ...
s.
Gallery
Notes
References
* * * * {{Hindu temples in Karnataka Religious buildings and structures completed in 1224 13th-century Hindu temples Hindu temples in Davanagere district