Galageshwara Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Hubli is the nearest airport.

• By train

  Haveri railway station is 30 km from Galaganath.

• By road

  From Haveri, head towards Agadi road for 15 km, then make a detour after Guttal to reach the village.

On the way

• Haveri railway station is 30 km from Galaganath.
• Hubli is the nearest airport.

Why devotees come here

Galageshwara Temple stands in the small village of Galaganath near Haveri in Karnataka. It is a Shiva temple from the Chalukya period, and its linga is called the Sparsha linga.

Galageshwara Temple stands in a small village called Galaganath. The temple is a Shiva shrine. An inscription in its open hall records a grant to Galageshwar.

The enshrined linga is a huge Shiva linga in a closed hall, and it is called the Sparsha linga. Sri Venkatesh Galaganath, a Kannada novelist known as Kadambari Pitamaha, worshipped at the temple. He wrote his novels on the temple premises.

The temple was built around the 11th century in the Chalukya style of architecture, and it has sculptures and intricate carvings. A large inscription slab in the open hall dates from 1080 AD. The temple faces east and stands along the Tungabhadra river. Its pyramidal basement is unusual, and the large open hall has many niches with figure sculpture, including Ganesha.

Tips for your visit

• The large open hall has niches with figure sculpture, including Ganesha.
• The temple has an unusual pyramidal basement, so look at the base as well as the walls.
• The temple faces east and stands along the Tungabhadra river.
• The linga is in a closed hall, and the open hall in front of it has a large inscription slab dated 1080 AD.

Questions people ask