Will Itagi’s Mahadev Temple join Tentative List of World Heritage Sites?

INTACH recommends this for World Heritage Sites’ list

Koppal: The Department of Archaeological Museums and Heritage has written to the Tourism Department secretary to send a proposal for the nomination of the Mahadev Temple of Itagi village in Kuknoor taluk of the district, to the Tentative List of World Heritage Sites. 

The letter states that the group of monuments of the Kalyani Chalukyas at Lakkundi and other places in Gadag district should be included in the List of World Heritage Sites. Itagi is located close to Lakkundi and Mahadev Temple is worth adding to the List of World Heritage Sites.

According to the norms set by the World Heritage Committee, any heritage site proposed for inclusion in the Tentative List of World Heritage Sites must first be studied and recommended by a recognised national institute. As per these norms, the Archaeological Department had asked the National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in 2024 to study some selected heritage sites in the state from all dimensions, including their outstanding universal value, architecture, technology, monumental arts and human values they promote. The study report submitted by INTACH has recommended seven heritage structures, including the Mahadev Temple in Itagi, for inclusion in the Tentative List of World Heritage Sites.

Considering the recommendation by the state government, the Archaeological Survey of India, the nodal agency under the Union Ministry of Culture, would send a proposal to the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) for inclusion in the Tentative List of World Heritage Sites for all these seven sites.

A touch of artistry

Itagi Mahadev Temple is said to have been built using the original model of the Amruteshwar temple in Annigeri. It has similar design and architectural elements, and the delicate carvings blooming in the stones, artworks and the lush greenery in the temple premises attract tourists.

Legend has it that this temple was built by Mahadeva, a general in the army of the Western Chalukya king Vikramaditya.

The sculptures in this temple, and the well-crafted carvings on the walls, pillars and tower are a testament to the taste of the Chalukya craftsmen.

This historic temple has a pillared pavilion, a gabled entrance with a dome, a decoration on the doorway, a small shrine inside the closed pavilion, decorative doorposts on the entrance to the sanctum, carvings on the entrance to the sanctum, and the pillar pedestal of the hall in the temple.

It has been the demand of the locals for many years to recommend it for inclusion in the World Heritage List. Itagi is visited by a large number of tourists.

K B Byali, Writer, Kukunoor said, “Itagi, known as the ‘Emperor of Temples’, should be declared a permanent World Heritage Site. It should be given the status it deserves".

Yelaburga constituency MLA Basavaraj Rayareddy said, “The Department of Archaeology and Museums has recommended to the government to include the Mahadev Temple in Itagi in the World Heritage List, and it should be included in the list as soon as possible".