Kalasi or Nadakalasi, was a town formed as a
part of Banavasi, a Kadamba Capital. Later it was ruled by Kalyani Chalukyas
and Hoysalas. It was a flourishing town during the reign of the Hoysalas and
was regarded as the epitome of civilisation. The twin temples of Mallikarjuna
and Rameshwara at Nadakalasi were built around 1218 AD by Baleyanna Pergade,
the king of Kondanad. The twin temples facing north located side by side
are sculpted in the non-ornate style of Hoysala architecture.
Rameshwara Temple, the smaller of the two, is locally known as Sadashiva
Temple. The sanctum sanctorum houses a Shivalinga. The linga of Rameswara is
moderately bigger in size.
The temple has few unique features that are uncommon in Hoysala
architecture. It has an oblong design, connecting the sanctum sanctorum
directly to navaranga and is conspicuously absent of a mukhamantapa and
sukanasi. The temple also has a narrow circumambulation path or the
pradakshinapatha usually a component of southern and Dravidian temple. Kakshasanas
towards the periphery carry panels containing village life and many erotic
sculptures. The seven
stepped shikhara has the prominent Hoysala emblem sitting atop a resplendent Gajasamhara
statue. Ganesha and Shanmukha can be seen by the sides of dancing Shiva with
Nandi below.
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