In Koppal District of Karnataka, India in Yalburga Taluk in the small town of Itagi is located the Mahadev Temple. It is around twenty minutes’ drive from Lakkundi and around 10 minutes from Kuknur. When this temple was built, its architects followed the architectural plan on which Amruteshwara temple at Annigeri was built. The architectural components of both the temples are same, except for the articulation.

This temple was built by a commander who was employed in the army of King Vikramaditya VI. The plan of the temple comprises of a Shrine which is joined with a closed hall or Mantapa through an antechamber or vestibule. From the closed Mantapa, you pass on to another Mantapa which is open pillared. The main direction of the temple is towards east. The parapet and cornice are some parts of the temple on the outer edge that are missing from the roof of the open Mantapa.

In the main temple, there are thirteen minor shrines that surround the Linga. All these minor shrines have their own Linga. There are two other shrines in the temple, dedicated to the parents of Mahadeva, Chandraleshwari and Murthinarayana. There are doorways on both sides of the closed Mantapa. The decoration of the shrine and outer walls follow the same pattern. There are 64 pillars in the great open Mantapa, twenty-four among them support the main ceiling and are of full length.

History

Some historians have called this temple as the best piece of architecture in Kannada. 64 km west of Itagi is Hampi and 22 km east of it is Gadag. This temple was constructed by Mahadev who was a commander at circa 1112 ce. There is an inscription on one of the walls of temple which says “Emperor among temples”.

Architecture

The architecture of the temple consists of a closed Mantapa or the hall which is connected to the shrine through a vestibule. The four central pillar in the open Mantapa show wonderful fretted stonework. The type of stonework done in this temple has not been found anywhere. But when we move inside the temple everything is quite simple and plain.

With the passage of time, the temple still stands strong. However, the harshness of Mother Nature has taken his toll on the temple, according to today’s architects there were bracket figures that were on the outside of the pillars are not seen now.

How to Reach

The nearest railway station from Mahadev Temple at Itagi is at Gadag which is approximately 35 kilometers and the next big station is at Hampi which is around 64 kilometers. Tourist can come from Hampi and Gadag through private transport, buses or hire a taxi, all of which are easily available. Make sure you appreciate the wonderful work done by the architectures of that time. To enjoy this place to the maximum, you should come between July and March, which is the rainy season here.