"Emperor of Temples" - Mahadeva Temple at Itagi

The Mahadeva Temple at Itagi was built circa 1112 A.D by Mahadeva, a commander in the army of the kalyani chalukyan King Vikramaditya VI.

The temple is dedicated to lord shiva.The well-executed sculptures, finely crafted carvings on walls, pillars and the tower make it a good example of complete kalyani  Chalukyan art  which speaks volumes about the taste of the Chalukyan artisans. An inscription dated 1112 A.D in the temple calls it "Emperor among Temples" Art  These kalyani Chalukya monuments, regional variants of existing dravidan temples, defined the Karnata dravida tradition.

The temple plan consists of a shrine which is connected to a closed mantapa  by a vestibule. The closedmantapa leads to an open pillared mantapa, with the temple as a whole facing the east. Some parts of the temple, such as the cornice and parapet over the outer edge of the roof of the openmantapa are missing. The main temple, the sanctum of which has a linga is surrounded by thirteen minor shrines, each with its own linga. The temple has two other shrines, dedicated to Murthinarayana and Chandraleshwari, parents of Mahadeva, the Chalukya commander who consecrated the temple.

The closed mantapa has a doorway on each side, with the eastern doorway leading to the open mantapa and the western doorway to the sanctum. The door panels are well wrought and the ceiling of the porches have a ribbed design in them. The decoration of the outer walls follows the same pattern as that of the shrine.The great open mantapa has 64 pillars, 24 of which are full pillars which start from the floor and support the main ceiling. The remaining are half pillars which start from the bench that surrounds the mantapa and support the sloping eaves. 

Figure Sculpture at Mahadeva Temple at Itagi

The square ceiling of the open mantapa which are supported by the four central pillars exhibits interesting fretted stonework.The ceiling here has been worked into a decorative arabesque foliage and makaras which flow from the mouth of a Kirtimukha. This type of stonework is considered as high a quality as any.In stark contrast, the interior of the closed mantapa and the sanctum are plain and simple. It is believed that bracket figures that once adorned the outside pillars are now missing. These forward leaning bracket figures (Salabhanjika), which normally represent female forms in various poses (such as dancing or adorning themselves), would have rested on small blocks on the shaft of the pillars,finding support from the underside of the overhanging cornice via a slot in their upper end.