Temples In Oblivion: The Ishwara Temple of Karnataka

The Hoysala dynasty was one of the
most prominent empires that ruled
Karnataka between the 10th and the
14th centuries. The capital of the
Hoysalas was initially located in
Belur but was later moved to
Halebidu.
The Hoysala era was an important
period in the development of art,
architecture and religion in South
India. They have built over 100
temples scattered across Karnataka
and even today these temples are
remembered for their exotic hoysala
architecture.
The famous Hoysala temples include
The chennakeshava temple, Belur,
The Hoysaleswara temple, Halebidu,
and The Chennakeshava temple,
Somanathapura. One among such
amazing masterpieces is the Ishwara
or the isvara temple, dedicated to
lord Shiva. 

The Ishwara temple is an early 13th century Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Arsikere, Hassan district, Karnataka, India.

The temple was constructed using soapstone. Though the temple is modest in size, it is designed with sophisticated architecture. It includes a sixteen-point star-shaped mantapa (hall) and a stellate shrine with each corner distinct. The temple faces towards the east. It has an open Navaranga and a Mukha Mantapa with a round dome on top. The open mantapa is supported on twenty-one pillars, of which eight are towards the middle and decorated, the outer thirteen pillars have a pair of elephants near their base. There is a square outer porch. The mantapa is a deep concentric joint-and consists of a raftered ceiling with an inverted lotus, which is so well crafted that it simulates a timber appearance.

There are also stone benches along the sides of the open mantapa for pilgrims to gather and sit. Inside there is another closed Gudha mantapa , which is 20 feet by 20 feet square and is supported by four lathe pillars.

The square sanctum (garbhagriha) enshrines a Shiva linga. Its doorway is beautifully carved with five sakhas with scrolls, geometric patterns, and standing lions. The lintel lalitabimba has Gajalakshmi. On the above there is a panel with Vishnu, Kartikeya (also known as Subramanyam, Murugan, Skanda), Shiva is in the middle flanked with lions, Ganesha, and Brahma. The sukhanasi above the sanctum has a Nataraja (Tandavesvara) with musicians near him.

The vimana has five storeys (pancatalas). It is based on a rotating circular plan with two pallavis – bifacial-equilateral and stellate, together they compose the dramatic and charming symmetry of superstructure. The jangha section
below is flanked by kuta-stambhas and contains Hindu deities. This scheme wraps around the walls of the gudha-mantapa, to enhance the visual aesthetics of the temple.

The reliefs therein include various forms of Shiva, the Saptamatrikas (seven mother goddesses), the avatars of Vishnu, Ganesha, Surya, Parvati, Lakshmi, and Sarasvati – thus, presenting the galaxy of Hindu legends and traditions. The walls thus display 120 reliefs, of which 62 are female and 58 are male. The outer wall of the vestibule shares the same decoration as the outer wall of the shrine but is inconspicuous because it forms a short continuation between the wall of the shrine and that of the closed mantapa.
The outer wall of the shrine is stellate, but the star points are not identical, rather they form three different kinds of star points, making the design complicated and unusual. The lower half of the outer wall of the shrine and the outer wall of the closed mantapa share the same architectural articulation. The open hall, with its 16-pointed star plan, is unusual. The central ceiling in the closed mantapa and the vestibule are decorated elaborately.

Both the interior and exterior of the temple show high workmanship. The elegantly decorated ceilings, the domical ceiling of the open mantapa, the sculptures of Dwarapalakas (doorkeepers) in the closed mantapa (also called navaranga), the wall panel images numbering a hundred and twenty (on pilasters between the aedicules’–miniature decorative towers) carved on the outer walls are noteworthy. The temple has seen some modern-era modifications. For example, near the Sukhanasi is a stuccoed figure of seated Nandi made of bricks – not the material of choice for the entire temple. Typically, one would expect the Hoysala crest instead, but this was likely damaged or destroyed long ago. To the immediate north of Ishvara temple is a double temple with a shared hall. The two sanctums have Shiva lingam, while the hall is supported on 24 red stone pillars with 21 ceiling niches, all with lotus. The double temple is simpler in design and decoration.

During a 1918 survey, the hall had ruined, and there were mutilated sections of idols such as those of Ganesha. Outside too, in the field near the temples were mutilated portions of Durga, Vishnu, dancing Ganapati, Mahisasuramardini, and others. A ruined Jinalaya (Jain temple) about 200 meters to the southwest of the Ishvara temple contains a mountain icon with 1000 Jina, giving it the name Sahasrakuta Jinalaya. This Jain temple was built along with the Ishvara temple, according to the inscriptions, and thus dated to about 1220 CE. The temple has several inscribed stones, as well as hero stones. None provide the foundation information to help date this temple. However, given the references in these available inscriptions, this temple must have been in existence during the reign of Narasimha II of the Hoysala dynasty, by about 1220 CE. Further, these same inscriptions suggest the Ishvara temple was one among a much bigger complex of temples, and that the Shiva linga inside this temple was referred to as Kattamesvara. The temples were active till the early 14th-century, given the evidence of gifts and donations mentioned in the inscriptions. In a survey completed in 1918 by a team of British and Indian archaeologists, the team reported another inscription – Arsikere Inscription #84 – that helps establish the double temple to the left of the Ishvara temple was also in existence by 1220 CE. They reported witnessing numerous mutilated figures of Durga, Ganesha, Mahisasuramardini, and others, as well as scattered sections of “some temple which is no longer in existence”.

The Ishvara temple is protected as a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India. This temple depicts the amazing architecture of the Hoysala dynasty which is mesmerizing. There are hundreds of temples and monuments scattered around Karnataka, which has a unique architectural design. Among so many temples only a few are known to people, few are maintained well but do not get recognized by the tourists and few monuments are in a very bad state without good maintenance. Knowing about the places and understanding the importance and history of a monument is very important before visiting a particular place. One among such forgotten temples is the Isvara temple of Arsikere. This modest temple has an exquisite design and architecture.