Bhimeshvara Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Jindal Vijayanagara Airport at Toranagallu, with the airport code VDY, is the nearest airport to Harapanahalli, about 95 km away.

• By train

  Harapanahalli railway station is on the Harihar to Hosapete line. The best train route to Davanagere is via Bangalore, about 4 hours 30 minutes, then about an hour by road to Harapanahalli.

• By road

  The village can be reached by bus or by your own vehicle. Harapanahalli has a KKRTC bus depot, which operates under the Vijayanagara Division.

Why devotees come here

Bhimeshvara Temple is a Shiva temple in Nilagunda town, Karnataka, set by a lake with hills around it. It is a monument of national importance, with four sanctums and a tower built of soapstone. The town lies in Harapanahalli taluk.

Bhimeshvara Temple is dedicated to Shiva. It is protected as a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India. It is believed that the Shivalinga was built by the Pandavas during their exile.

The Archaeological Survey of India dates the construction to the last quarter of the 11th century, under the Western Chalukyas. The temple has four sanctums, a plan that is unusual for Chalukyan temples in this region. Only the main west-facing shrine still has its superstructure, a three-tiered tower in the vesara style that mixes south and north Indian forms. Below each kirtimukha face on the tower is a relief of a deity such as Nataraja or Maheshvara.

The entrance to each sanctum has carved reliefs of Shaiva guardians. Inside, four polished pillars, turned on a lathe, hold up the ceiling of the common hall. The carvings on the gopura and inside the temple are described as Hoysala style. The temple stands by a lake with hills around it, and Nilagunda is known for its soapstone quarries.

Tips for your visit

• Do not miss the small Nandi bull that faces the west sanctum.
• Inside the temple, the walls carry sculptures of Ganesha, Saptamatrika and Mahishasuramardhini.

Questions people ask