Chandramouleshwara Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Hubballi Airport (HBX) is listed as a nearest airport.

• By train

  Dharwad Railway Station (DWR) is listed as the nearest railway station.

• By road

  The temple lies east of Unkal lake. Sources give its road as NH 67, the old NH4.

Rules to know

• Dress modestly and remove your shoes before entering the inner temple.
• Photography is usually allowed, but get approval from the temple authorities before taking pictures inside.

Why devotees come here

Chandramouleshwara Temple is a Shiva temple in Unkal, Hubballi, Karnataka, east of Unkal lake. It is built in Chalukyan style and is a protected monument of national importance. Its two shrines each hold a Shivalinga.

Local faith holds that the temple was built for two forms of Shiva, Chandramouleshwara and Mallikarjuna. Each of its two important shrines has a Shivalinga, which is why the temple is often called a twin-shrine temple. The temple is also notable for how it brings together the art of Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Vedic deities in one place.

The temple is built on a square-cross plan, with one entrance facing each of the four directions. This corresponds to the sandhara plan found in Sanskrit texts on architecture. The eastern doorway is one of the best from the 11th century. The date is debated, because scholars and the Archaeological Survey of India do not agree on the century. Incredible India advises visiting in early morning or late afternoon, when the lighting shows the carvings better.

Tips for your visit

• Go in the early morning or late afternoon, when the light shows the carvings better.
• Unkal Lake, near the temple, is another popular attraction of the city.

Questions people ask