A tiny village in Karnataka stands testimony to the Kalyani Chalukiya dynasty’s ability to build temples with outstanding sculptures. King Vikramaditya VI of the Chalukya dynasty has built a small temple to lord Shiva called Kamalishwara Temple.
This temple is famous for its outstanding sculptures of Salabhanjika or Madanika. The shalabhanjika is a standard decorative element of Indian sculpture, a graceful stone sculpture representing a young female under a stylized tree in various poses, such as dancing, grooming herself or playing a musical instrument. The salabhanjika's female features, like breasts and hips, are often exaggerated. Frequently these sculpted figures display complex hairdos and an abundance of jewellery.
The sculptures of the Jalasangvi temple were the source of inspiration for the later Hoysala bracket-figures of Belur, Halebidu and Somanathapura. This chalukya temple is built on a star-shaped plan.
It is mind-blowing to see the exterior walls of this temple decorated with intricate sculptures. They are heavily exaggerated and decorated with ornaments and attires. The most prominent is a woman writing an epigraph in Kannada.
Jalasangvi is a small village in Bidar district of Karnataka near Basavakalyan, the capital of the Kalyani Chalukyas. It is 10 kms from Humnabad. The Kamalishwara or Kalleshwara temple is said to have been built around 1100 AD.
This temple is under the care of Archaeological Survey of India and it is a protected national monument. Photography is allowed in this temple. There is hardly anyone in this temple and when I visited even the priest of the temple was not there!
