Tarakeshwara Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Hubli is the nearest airport, and Hangal is 80 km from Hubli by NH 766E.

• By train

  Haveri railway station is the nearest station, about 40 km from the temple.

• By road

  Travellers from Bengaluru can take the route through Chitradurga and Haveri, and from Dharwad the route runs through Hubli and Shiggaavi. Hangal is about 370 km from Bengaluru.

Why devotees come here

Tarakeshwara Temple stands in Hangal, a town in Haveri district, Karnataka, about 40 km from Haveri. It is a Shiva temple complex with a Ganesha temple and a hall for Nandi. Its octagonal lotus structure has a stone ceiling about 6 metres across.

Tarakeshwara Temple is dedicated to Shiva in his Tarakeshwara form, which gives the temple its name. The complex is a listed monument of the Archaeological Survey of India, and the Haveri district page records both its name and its listing. Three memorial stones stand in front of its halls, sculpted with religious and military scenes.

The temple is dated to about AD 1050 or the mid-12th century, and it is linked to the Chalukyas of Kalyana. Credit for its building goes to the Kadambas, but the Kalyani Chalukyas made major changes to its form seen today. The temple is built of grey-green chloritic schist, in the Hoysala style.

Near the main temple, a hall supported by 12 pillars is used to worship Nandi, the bull ridden by Shiva. Opposite the idol stands an octagonal structure called the lotus of Hangal, whose stone ceiling is 6 metres across. The Ganesha temple lies northeast of the main temple and faces south. It is part of the same complex as the Shiva shrine, in the town of Hangal, Haveri district.

Tips for your visit

• The state bus stand of Hangal is very near the temple.
• The memorial stones in front of the halls are sculpted with religious and military scenes.

Questions people ask