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 States and territories of India, state of Indi ...
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 (, , ) is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Para Brahman, supreme being. It is the Hinduism#Demographics, second-largest Hindu sect after Vaishnavism, constituting about 385 million H ...
, Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...
, Shaktism
Shaktism () is a major Hindu denomination in which the God in Hinduism, deity or metaphysics, metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically to be a woman.
Shaktism involves a galaxy of goddesses, all regarded as different aspects, mani ...
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 part of ''Manjarabad Faujdari'' between 1832-81 (Mysore Commission, Commissioner's Rule of Mysore). In ...
of Karnataka
Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
, 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 Kingdom was a kingdom originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India, Karnataka, parts of Tamilnadu and South-Western Telangana between the 11th and the 14th centuries Common Era, CE. The c ...
during the rule of King Vira Someshwara
Vira Someshwara () (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 Seuna incursions south of the Tungabhadr ...
.[
]
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 sub ...
(green–chloritic schist
Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...
). It has a large "linga
A lingam ( , 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. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Upanishads and epic literature, wher ...
" (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 Afr ...
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 (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...
(consort of Shiva). The images of the ''navagraha
The navagraha are nine heavenly bodies and deities that influence human life on Earth according to Hinduism and Hindu mythology. The term is derived from ''nava'' ( "nine") and ''graha'' ( "planet, seizing, laying hold of, holding"). The nine part ...
'' (''lit'', "nine planets") facing each other is another unique feature. There are two images of the god Ganesha
Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...
(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 (, ), also known as Chamundeshwari, Chamundi or Charchika, is a fearsome form of Chandi, the Hindu mother goddess, Mahadevi and is one of the seven Matrikas.Wangu p.72
She is also one of the chief Yoginis, a group of sixty-four or ei ...
(one of seven Saptamatrikas, Shaktism), Kartikeya
Kartikeya (/Sanskrit phonology, kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda (Sanskrit phonology, /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/Sanskrit phonology, sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha (Sanskrit phonology, /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan ...
and Ganesha
Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...
(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 . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...
'') 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
Buildings and structures completed in 1249
Religious buildings and structures completed in the 1240s
13th-century Hindu temples
Hindu temples in Hassan district