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 and 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. The sanctum sanctorum houses a
Shivalinga. The linga of Rameshwara is moderately bigger in size. The shikhara has the prominent Hoysala emblem sitting atop a
resplendent Nataraja statue.
The outer
wall of the temple consists of series of turrets. There are kakshasanas too
towards the periphery. A few dwarf pillars are erected at kakshasanas, only to
support the ceiling. Both sides of kakshasanas carry panels containing village life and many
erotic sculptures.
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