Heritage Site Visit
TARAKESHWARA TEMPLE
Located about 75 km away from Hubballi is the quiet little town of Hangal, which is popular for the ancient Tarakeshwara Temple. The Tarakeshwara temple is truly a fine example of the architectural marvel of our medieval times. The temple which is dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Shiva is assigned to the mid-12th century A.D.
The name of the temple is derived from the Tarakeshwara form of Lord Shiva. Even though the credit of construction of this temple goes to the Kadambas, it was the Kalyani Chalukyas that made significant changes to make it into the form we see today.
The Tarakeshwara temple is a listed monument of the archeological survey of India.
HISTORY:
To begin with, 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 (Secluded living). The earliest known dynasty to have ruled the town of Hangal was 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 (the section of believers who worshipped Lord Shiva).
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.
ARCHITECTURE
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 center, 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. The sculpture of a hero fighting a lion, which is the emblem of the Hoysala kingdom, is also present. The pillars and columns are intricately carved showcasing the superior workmanship of those times. The domed ceiling with elaborate carvings and patterns looks simply stunning and is the highlight of the temple.
It has a typical Chalukyan style of architecture with influences of Dravidian and Nagara styles. After the fall of Chalukyas, the temple was renovated by Hoysalas and the influence is quite visible in the temple’s structural design. The main temple consists of a Garbhgriha or sanctum with adjoining enclosures like the Antarala, Navaranga, Sabhamandapa and Mukhamandapa. The sanctum encloses the shrine of Tarakeshwara, which is in the form of a Linga along with sculptures of Vishnu, Brahma, Karthikeya and Nandi.
Tarakeshwar Temple: An Engineering Excellence
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. Remember the temple was built in the 12th century A.D and lathe was definitely an advanced technology back then!
The decorations on the pillars include very detailed carvings of elephants and diamond-shaped motifs. Adjacent to the main hall is another hall which goes by the name Nandi Pavilion. This 12-pillared hall is dedicated to Nandi, the bull ridden by Lord Shiva. The Nandi pavilion also has a leaning balcony setting. Both these halls have stepped pyramidal outer roof. In front of the main hall one will also come across the memorial stones with religious and military scenes.
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 Ganesh temple located to the north- east of the Tarakeshwara temple has been built in the Nagara style and is definitely worth a visit.
How to reach:
As we travelled from Hubballi, we caught a bus from Hubli new bus stand which had a direct stop to Hangal. The travelling time was around 1.5-2hours.A walk of 1Km from Hangal bus stand directed by google maps and the locals took us directly to the Tarakeshwar temple. The entrance fee is completely free.
The nearest railway station to the temple is the Haveri railway station which is approximately 40 kms from the temple. Once you reach the railway station, there are plenty of options for road transport to take you to Hangal.
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.
HOW TO POPULARISE THE SITE
Why popularise this temple?
The architecture of Tarakeshwar temple was gracefully carved by the KalyanaChalukya's.
The temple projects the impression of popular western Chalukya art.
The divine architecture of the ceiling which represents the detailed blooming of the flower Lotus and is surrounded by 8 pillars in octagonal shape in which each pillar consists of carvings of various gods.
How?
In today's fast emerging world of social media life, we can easily reach a lot of people with several influencer posts and a great eye-catching explanation of the site in the caption.
Some amount of guides should be placed so that the visitors understand the ancestrol history and the crux of the architecture. The visitors who find this exciting and beautiful will help in spread of word of mouth to other people too.
More tourism boards in the bus stops and easy transportation to the temple will definitely help the site get more visitors and some shops with the local products which help enhance the local vendors too should be kept.
THANK YOU
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