Chandramouleswara Temple at Arasikere

Soumyaroop Mukherjee

Chandramouleswara Temple at Arasikere

The Chandramauleshwara Temple, also known as the Chandramouleshwara Temple, is located in Unkal, Karnataka, India. This 11th-century Shiva temple features Chalukyan architecture, with a square plan and four entrances facing cardinal directions. The temple's design follows the Gandhara style, which is prevalent in Sanskrit architectural writings.

Chandramouleshwara Temple; Source: Punyakshetra Darshanaya

The Chandramouleshwara temple in Arasikere is a testament to the glory of the bygone era of the Hoysalas. The real name of the temple is Ishvara Temple. Although the exact date of its construction is lost in the pages of untold history, it is possible that the temple was built in 1220 during the rule of Narasimha II.

The name Chandramouleshwara comes from Hindu mythology related to Shiva. In this region, Shiva/Mahadeva is also known as Chandramouli because he has a moon in his locks to save the moon god from a curse given by his father-in-law, Daksha. According to legend, the moon did penance to get rid of the curse at a place where Udupi is now located, and he prayed to Lord Shiva. As a result, Lord Shiva was called Chandramouleshwara.

The temple in Arasikere features a spinning circular design with a domed mandapa shaped like a 16-pointed star, a pancatala vimana, and a galaxy of artwork depicting Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism, and several Hindu myths from the Vedas. There are several other Hindu temples in Arasikere, but this one is unique in its combination of a pancatala vimana, domed mandapa with a 16-point star form, spinning circular plan, and intricate artwork representing various aspects of Hinduism.

Where did the name Arasikere come from? There is a tale narrating the story behind the name of the place. Arasikere, also referred to as ‘Queen’s Tank’ is 41 km east of Hassan city and about 140 km north of Mysuru, Karnataka. The etymology is derived from Arasi meaning “queen/ princess” and kere meaning “tank” in the Kannada language. It is possible that a water tank here was dedicated to some princess or queen or perhaps the latter made donations for the construction of a water tank here.

The open mandapa suggests that music and dance performances were conducted here to satiate the Hindu idea that even God needs entertainment. The architect has provided stone benches at the corners of the open mandapa for the audience to sit and enjoy the live performances of dancers and actors.

The open mandapa is supported by pillars and has the shape of an inverted lotus on the ceiling. The lotus motif is significant, as the lotus is regarded as one of the most beautiful and pious flowers in Hinduism. As people enter the sanctum sanctorum or the garbhagriha, they are awed by the Shiva linga, which sits in the middle. One cannot help but wonder about the architectural marvel of the Great Hoysalas.

Although this beautiful Hoysala temple is an ASI-protected monument, it is now a deserted and destroyed site. Nevertheless, it remains historically significant. It is possible that the temple was destroyed around the 14th century. Within the present compound, to the north of this big temple, there is a smaller and more damaged twin temple which still stands. This twin temple has red stone pillars. About 200 meters to the southwest of the Ishvara Temple, there is the Sahasrakuta Jinalaya, a destroyed and vandalized Jaina structure. Despite being destroyed, the temple complex still manages to exude a feeling of religious calm.

As we enter the east-facing temple, we encounter an open navaranga and Mukhamandapa with a rounded dome on top. The open area of the Mukhamandapa houses the statue of Nandi, the bull of Shiva. According to legend, Mahadeva does not accept puja offerings until they have been given first to his vehicle, Nandi the Bull. However, today the iconography of a seated Nandi is either lost or destroyed. The fact that the temple is dedicated to Shiva and may have had an iconography of Nandi suggests that the Hoysalas, who ruled South India at the time, were tolerant of Shaivite sects.

The temple contains several inscribed hero stones in the Kannada language. What are hero stones and how did they get this name? A hero stone is a stone inscribed with the names of heroes who died in battle or gave their lives for a noble cause, regardless of gender. These stones also bear inscriptions in ancient languages and eulogies praising the heroes and their heroic acts.

Another interesting ancient inscription that is of great historical value is the Arsikere inscription in the Kannada language, from the period of the mighty Hoysalas. This inscription describes the Shiva linga installed here as Kattamesvara. It is common in Hindu temples to refer to Shiva by various names.

This temple was constructed using soapstone, a common building material during the Hoysala period. It is an east-facing temple, as the east direction is considered the purest and most pious in Hindu mythology. This is because the sun is considered a god in Hinduism and it rises in the east.