Did you know that the Kalleshvara Temple in Ambali in Bellary district of Karnataka, a black stone Chalukyan temple of 11thc century is dedicated to Kalleshwara, a form of Lord Shiva.?
The Kalleshvara Temple in Ambali is in the Bellary district of Karnataka. An inscritpion the sabamnadapa (assembly hall) of the temple, dated 1063 AD ascribes the temple to the 50 years reign of the Western Chalukya Empire's King Vikramaditya VI (also called Tribhuvana Malla).
The temple, is an ancient Chalukyan temple dedicated to Kalleshwara, originally consisted of a single shrine , opening into a mantapa of crucifom plan in the architectural style of the trans-Tungabhadra branch of the Lakkundi school, related to Kuruvatti (Mallikarjuna temple) with some non-mainstream affinities. The temple is dedicated to Kalleshwara, a form of Shiva Linga or Lord Shiva, as related to a story narrated to the Skandapurana. The temple was built in soap stone but as the original vimana tower was lost or ruined a new superstructure has been built over the shrine's garbagriha.
The Kalleshvara Temple, as it exists today with a newly built Vimana tower (Eka Kuta), faces east and comprises a sanctum (garbhagriha), an antechamber (or vestibule or antarala whose tower is called the sukhanasi) that connects the sanctum to a gathering hall (sabhamantapa) which is preceded by a main hall (mukhamantapa). The walls of the shrine and the sabhamantapa are articulated with projections and recesses creating niches which carry miniature decorative tower or turrets (Aedicula) in vesara style (a fusion of south and north Indian styles). The doorjamb of the sanctum and antechamber are crafted with decorative motifs, and the lintel (lalata) depicts Gajalakshmi (the Hindu goddess Lakshmi flanked by elephants on either side). The square bases of pillars in the sabhamantapa and mukhamantapa have the characteristic decoration with reliefs, depicting various Hindu deities such as Surya (the sun god), Bhairava (a version of the god Shiva) and Durga.
This temple, a protected as a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India, is to the west of Kottur and about 28 km. from Kudligi and near the junction of the three taluks of Hadagalli , Harapanahalli and Kudligi, and is 120km away from district headquarter Bellary.
- Narasipur Char
