Facing the east, this temple, built around 750 CE, is a typical example of a finely – evolved Rekha – Nagara- Prasada. It has on plan, a sanctum (garbhagriha) housing a linga and a vestibule (antarala), both surrounded by a closed circumambulatory path (Pradakshninapatha), a hall (Sabha-mandapa) and an entrance porch (mukha-mandapa). Of these mandapas only the plinth is extant now.
The temple is built on a plinth with three highly ornate mouldings depicting dwarfs in playful mood and Chaitya – arch motifs. The outer walls of the circumambulatory path (mostly ruined) had devakoshtha pavilions at cordinal points, of which only the southern one is intact. It has two round-shafted pillars with vases and foliage (ghata – pallava) at their bases and capitals. The sculpture housed in this pavilion is that of Siva slaying Andhakasura. The eight – armed god wears a wreath of human skulls (munda – mala) like a sacred thread (yajnopavita) and is depicted as piercing the demon with trisula. Windows on either side of this image are divided into square and triangular perforations by bars.
Some interesting figures are carved in the box – like projections of the basement moulding to the east. One of these boxes depicts the story of the mischievous monkey from the Panchatantra and the figure of a two-faced bird in another box seems to narrate yet another story from the same work.
The well-preserved northern superstructure (Rekha-Nagara sikhara), topped by amalaka and kalasa, is the most striking feature of the temple. This sikhara with its three projecting bands framing two recesses triratha – sikhara and ascending kapots, kudus and amalakas resembles the superstructures of the Visvabrahma and other temples at Almapur in Andhra Pradesh. It has a well developed shukanasa which is damaged.
The outer walls of the sanctum are relieved with niches (devakoshthas) created by ornate pilasters at the central portions. These niches are flanked by finely executed trefoil chaitya- window motifs on the lateral projections. The ornate doorframe of the outer chambers with sakhas depicts the river goddesses at the base and dancing Siva on the lintel.
Galaganatha Temple «This east-facing early 8th-century Shiva temple is built on a plinth in the typical nagara or north Indian style. Partially dilapidated, it comprises of a sanctuary with vestibule surrounded by an ambulatory having windowed porches on three sides. The adjoining hall in front is lost. The sanctuary's exterior, seen in the ambulatory, consists of a pedestal having a central projection on each side with nagara mouldings and corresponding empty wall niches. Each wall niche is flanked on either side by a blind projection carrying nagara pediments. A sloping roof covers the ambulatory. The sanctuary's doorjambs accommodate the figures of river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna. On the lintel is Nataraja. Over the architrave a partially preserved shukanasa projection is seen. The only surviving windowed porch on the south side shelters a beautifully sculpted panel showing Shiva piercing Andhaka demon. The bottom and top of pillar shafts of the porch have ghata-pallavas (vase-and-foliage). The sanctuary's curvilinear tower has sharp cut features. On its each face are centrally rising layers of gavakshas (small horseshoe-shaped recesses) accommodating human faces, flanked by half-gavakshas. The corners of the tower have square cushion-shaped amalakas at regular intervals. The tower is capped by a large amalaka (a ribbed circular cushion) with a surmounting kalasha (pot-finial). The temple resembles the nagara temples built in the Chalukyan temple site at Alampur in the Telangana state.» |
Galaganatha temple seen from east |
Galaganatha temple seen from southeast |
Tower (Shikhara or Vimana) above the sanctum
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Galaganatha temple seen from southwest |
Hall entrance door |
Entering the ambulatory |
Shiva killing the demon Andhaka |
Shiva Linga inside the sanctum |
See Also
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Pattadakal Temples, Pattadakal
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Kadasiddheshwara Temple, Pattadakal
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Jambulinga Temple, Pattadakal
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Sangameshwara Temple, Pattadakal
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Monolithic Stone Pillar, Pattadakal
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Virupaksha Temple, Pattadakal
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Mallikarjuna Temple, Pattadakal
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Kashivishweshwara Temple, Pattadakal
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Badami Cave Temples
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