Sadasiva Temple
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The Sadasiva temple at Nuggehalli is a 13th-century Shiva temple with
Hoysala architecture Hoysala architecture is the building style in Hindu temple architecture developed under the rule of the Hoysala Empire between the 11th and 14th centuries, in the region known today as Karnataka, a state of India. Hoysala influence was at its ...
in Nuggehalli village, Hassan district, Karnataka, India. The temple is one of the best illustrations of the Hoysala era Nagara temple with the stellate style, remarkable for its octagonal star configuration with clean, simple aesthetics. The brilliant synthesis of South Indian ideas with North Indian architectural plan makes it a special monument. It is also notable for its artwork that depicts legends of
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 ...
,
Vaishnavism Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
,
Shaktism Shaktism ( sa, शाक्त, , ) is one of several major Hindu denominations, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti ( Mahadevi) is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes many goddesses, al ...
and Vedic deities together.


Location and date

The Sadasiva Temple is located in Nuggehalli, (also spelled "Nuggihalli"), a town in the
Hassan district Hassan is one of the districts of Karnataka, 31 districts of Karnataka, India. The district headquarter is Hassan, Karnataka, Hassan. It was carved out from Mysore district in the year 1866, during the Commissioner's Rule of Mysore (1831-81). ...
of
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
, India. It is to the east of Lakshmi Narasimha temple and closer to the historic water reservoir to the northeast of the village. The town was called Vijaya Somanathapura in ancient times and gained importance as an ''agrahara'' (place of learning) during the time of Bommanna Dandanayaka. The Sadasiva temple is a fine example of ''Hoysala nagara'' style of architecture with ''
Bhumija Bhumija is a variety of north Indian temple architecture marked by how the rotating square-circle principle is applied to construct the ''shikhara'' (superstructure or spire) on top of the sanctum. Invented about the 10th-century in the Malwa regi ...
'' type superstructure.Foekema, Gerard (1996). ''A Complete Guide to Hoysala Temples''. Abhinav, 1996. pp. 83–85. It was completed in c.1249 by Bommanna Dandanayaka, a commander in the
Hoysala Empire The Hoysala Empire was a Kannada people, Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India, Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially loca ...
during the rule of King
Vira Someshwara Vira Someshwara ( kn, ವೀರ ಸೋಮೇಶ್ವರ) (1234–1263) was a king of the Hoysala Empire. The preoccupation of Vira Narasimha II in the affairs of Tamil country resulted in neglect of northern territories and he had to face Seun ...
.


Architecture and furnishings

This unusual Hoysala temple combines ''ekakuta'' ("one superstructure and shrine") architecture with a ''nagara'' (north Indian) styled tower. The Vimana has a stellate plan with an octagonal star configuration. Each bhadra follows this same rhythm. Merged with the Vimana is the square ''gudha-mandapa'' flourished with orthogonal ''ratha''. Thus, the ''sthanapati'' and ''shilpins'' (architect and artisans) were able to exhaustively and successfully create a "highly sophisticated rotating shape far beyond the innovations found in Chalukyan architecture" of the previous centuries, states Dhaky, a scholar of temple architecture and history. The temple is quasi-
Bhumija Bhumija is a variety of north Indian temple architecture marked by how the rotating square-circle principle is applied to construct the ''shikhara'' (superstructure or spire) on top of the sanctum. Invented about the 10th-century in the Malwa regi ...
with South Indian ideas on the rotating square principle of Hindu architecture. This synthesis creates a symphony in geometric configuration of its stellate base and the outer walls, all the way to the North Indian style ''shikhara''. The shrine's walls and the ''mantapa'' have austere appearance, with no sculptural decoration. Yet the successful integration of the Nagara quasi-Bhumija architecture with South Indian flourish makes this temple one of the most important Hoysala monuments in architectural context. The temple is built on a '' jagati'' (platform) and the building material used 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 zo ...
(green–chloritic
schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes o ...
). It has a large "
linga 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 devotional im ...
" (the universal symbol of the god Shiva) in its sanctum and an equally large and extremely well carved
Nandi Nandi may refer to: People * Nandy (surname), Indian surname * Nandi (mother of Shaka) (1760–1827), daughter of Bhebe of the Langeni tribe * Onandi Lowe (born 1974), Jamaican footballer nicknamed Nandi * Nandi Bushell (born 2010), South Afri ...
in a closed hall with walls that have perforated stone windows. The temple also has a unique life-size standing image of the goddess
Parvati Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...
(consort of Shiva). The images of the ''
navagraha Navagraha are nine heavenly bodies and deities that influence human life on Earth according to Hinduism and Hindu astrology. The term is derived from ''nava'' ( sa, नव "nine") and ''graha'' ( sa, ग्रह "planet, seizing, laying hold of, ...
'' (''lit'', "nine planets") facing each other is another unique feature. There are two images of the god
Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...
(son of Shiva), one outside the sanctum and the other at the entrance to the sanctum housing the goddess Parvati. In the common hall are the intricately carved independent images (not in frieze) of deities from the Hindu pantheon that are noteworthy:
Chamundeshwari Chamunda (Sanskrit: चामुण्डा, ISO-15919: Cāmuṇḍā), also known as Chamundeshwari, Chamundi or Charchika, is a fearsome form of Chandi, the Hindu Divine Mother Shakti and is one of the seven Matrikas (mother goddesses).W ...
(one of seven Saptamatrikas, Shaktism),
Kartikeya Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...
and
Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...
(sons of Parvati and Shiva), Kala Bhairava (a ferocious form of Shiva), a set of images depicting the different incarnations (''
avatars Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance ...
'') of Vishnu, Parvati, and Surya (the Sun god).Foekema, Gerard (1996). ''A Complete Guide to Hoysala Temples''. Abhinav, 1996. pp. 83–86.


Gallery

Close up of the vimana in Sadashiva Temple at Nuggehalli.jpg, Close up of Sadashiva temple with ''Hoysala nagara'' shrine and superstructure (Hoysala adaptation of ''nagara'' style of architecture) at Nuggehalli Entrance to Sadashiva temple at Nuggehalli.JPG, Entrance to Sadashiva temple at Nuggehalli Closed mantapa with lathe turned pillars facing the sanctum in the Sadashiva temple at Nuggehalli.JPG, Mantapa with lathe turned pillars in the Sadashiva temple at Nuggehalli File:Domical bay ceiling in mantapa of the Sadashiva temple at Nuggehalli 1.JPG, Domical bay ceiling art in Sadashiva temple at Nuggehalli Decorative bay ceiling art in mantapa of Sadashiva temple at Nuggehalli.JPG, Decorative bay ceiling art in Sadashiva temple at Nuggehalli Lintel over entrance into sanctum in the Sadashiva temple at Nuggehalli.JPG, Lintel art in Sadashiva temple at Nuggehalli Lintel over entrance into the sanctum of Sadashiva temple at Nuggehalli.JPG, Lintel art in Sadashiva temple at Nuggehalli Ganesha sculpture in the Sadashiva temple at Nuggehalli.JPG, Ganesha sculpture in Sadashiva temple at Nuggehalli


References

{{Hindu temples in Karnataka Religious buildings and structures completed in 1249 13th-century Hindu temples Hindu temples in Hassan district