Neglected Past- Temples of Karnataka, Ikkeri

Here is the continuation of my trip to ancient temples around Jog Falls. Earlier I had posted about the Keladi Nayakas and Keladi Rameshwara temple. Keladi was the first capital of Keladi Kingdom and later it was shifted to Ikkeri by the subsequent ruler. It remained as the capital for around 120 years. And so here is another beautiful temple dedicated to Aghoreshwara (Lord Shiva).

Ikkeri is 5KM from the center of the town- Sagar. The town is popular for the magnificent 16th century  Aghoreshwara temple. Like other Keladi period temples this too is built in Hoysala-Dravidian style using granite. It is a square structure supported by massive and ornate pillars. The interior and exteriors of the walls and the ceiling are decorated with intricate carvings. Apart from the main shrine there are other smaller shrines dedicated to Ganesha, Kartikeya and Mahishasuramardhini. On the floor of the temple there are three effigies of three chiefs with their names carved.

The temple doesn't have a gopura-gateway. Instead there is a granite arch. After the entrance first comes a beautiful shrine dedicated to Nandi. The bull is so beautiful and polished. The ornaments carved are so pretty, feels like everything is alive! There is a separate shrine dedicated to Goddess behind the main shrine.

It was very stormy when I was here. Dark clouds and drizzling rain made it difficult for any exterior photography. Because of its near proximity to Sagar town there were many other tourists in the highlight.

How to reach: One could go to Sagar, a nearest town with good road connectivity, from here reach the temples with a private vehicle. I didn't find any sign of public transport or autorikshaws near the temple. Sagar is 170KM from Hubli and 350KM from the state capital Bangalore. I drove in the car from Hubli which was convenient. During the rains check for road conditions prior to the trip.

The temple towns of Keladi and Nadakalasi are nearby within 15KM distance. Keladi Rameshwara temple is very well known. The Mallikarjuna and Rameshwara temples in Nadakalasi are lesser known yet beautiful.

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This post is linked to Our World Tuesday.

If you want pictures please ask me :)
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Scrapbook- A Travel Blog by Kusum Sanu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.