Ode to a Chalukyan monument

Recently restored Someshwara Temple at Lakshmeshwar in Gadag district is known for its unique blend of Chalukyan and Vijayanagar styles of architecture. The main deity here has Shiva sitting on Nandi, along with Parvathi, his consort. This seems to be the only temple in Karnataka to have such an image of Shiva, intertwined with Nandi, with Parvathi astride behind him.

Salient features

The Temple complex has all the relevant stylistic features of the art and architecture of the Chalukyan period. The expansive  complex houses 10 subsidiary shrines, but not in the Chalukyan style. Instead, almost all the shrines exhibit a style belonging to the Vijayanagar period. Thus, Someshwara Temple stands testimony to the experimentations and innovations in building styles, and cultural exchanges between two dynasties. The mahadwara pillars, for instance, are in the style of later Chalukyas, whereas the cornices belong to the Vijayanagar style. The interiors of dakshina mahadwara exhibit the Vijayanagar style, while its exteriors fall into the later Chalukyan period.

This amalgamation of architectural styles posed the biggest challenge to the restoration work, says S V Venkateshaiah, who led the restoration work of the Temple. “The Temple construction began in the early Chalukya period and continued into the later Chalukya period, for about 400-500 years,” he says. 

The differences begin right from the materials used. Soapstone was the medium of the later Chalukyan rulers, whereas granite was the hallmark of Vijayanagar constructions. The structures had been ruined over centuries, and taking a call on what carvings to remove, and what to retain, and where to bring in an admixture of architectural styles, even while maintaining the integrity and authenticity of the Temple vis a vis its original formatting, was the toughest aspect of the task.

Elaborate documentation and “condition” mapping, running to the smallest detail, helped bring back the Temple to its distinctive style, says Venkateshaiah.  

The spacious mahamantapa, at the centre of the Temple complex, was a place for religious and spiritual discourses. It also provided a platform for music and dance performances. An inscription found at the Temple points to the exuberant cultural activities performed there. It says Gaurambika, the daughter of Mahendra Somanathacharya, the sthaapanacharya of the Temple, was a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer, who competed with dancers from other regions and won laurels. 

The mahamantapa with its antarala (vestibule) is poised to come alive again after a period of nearly 2,000 years, with Infosys Foundation, which took up the excavation and restoration of the ancient monument, is organising Lakshmeshwar Utsav from March 12. Planned as a tribute to the main deity, Someshwara, the three-day cultural event, organised in collaboration with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, will showcase local art and artistes, both classical and folk — all of which were once a part of the cultural matrix of Lakshmeshwar. 

Soon, Someshwara Temple will once again resonate to the sound of music and tinkling of anklets.