Temple of Mukt®¿vara, cella Mukt®¿vara Linga.
The Li´ga which goes by the name of Mukte¿vara is in the sanctum sanctorum and is an udbhavam£rti. It is a very small cylindrical stone with its p¡¸ip¢¶ha. almost at the ground level. By and large Li´gas of udbhavam£rti type are placed on low sockets whereas Li´gas installed by human beings are on an elevated p¢¶ha. Vir£p¡kÀali´ga at HaÆpi, Mukte¿vara at Cau·ad¡napura and Sa¸gam®¿vara at K£·alasa´gama in Bij¡pura district are a few among the best examples of svayaÆbh£ or udbhava Li´gas, whereas B¤had¢¿vara in Tanj¡vur and Ga´gaiko¸·ac°Lapuram are the best examples of man made Li´gas.
Ra´gama¸·apa, Saptamatrka.
Like in most of the temples built during this period, a panel of Saptam¡t¤k¡s has been installed in a niche in the ra´gama¸·apa. By and large this panel is found to the left, when the devotee stands facing the main deity in the sanctum sanctorum. According to Ajit¡gama and Mayamata the Mother goddesses should be installed in villages or in temples. Mayamata states that the goddesses should be installed either facing north or east and should be near the main entrance. To the áaivas the temple represents Kail¡sa. According to Rudrak°¶isaÆhit¡ in áivapur¡¸a the fort gates of Kail¡sa are guarded by Bhairavas. Each of the goddesses stands there as the áakti of the guardian. As these áaktis are none but the consorts of main gods such as Brahm¡, ViÀ¸u, Mah®¿vara, Indra, Var¡ha and so on, they must have the same vehicles and attributes. As they are the áaktis and their energy is primordial in the protection of the fort they must be worshipped first. This idea has been depicted on the stone in the form of a panel. On either side of the panel are seated, in the beginning áiva as V¢¸¡dharam£rti playing on the v¢¸¡ and Ga¸®¿a at the other end. These goddesses were highly revered in temples to áiva built by K¡l¡mukhas, and P¡¿upatas.
On entering the temple from the southern entrance the panel is found in a niche in southwestern corner facing north. The goddesses are Br¡hm¢, M¡h®¿var¢, Kaum¡r¢, VaiÀ¸av¢, V¡r¡h¢, Indr¡¸¢ and C¡mu¸·¡. Images of their vehicles are carved at the foot of each one. All the goddesses are in seated position. The panel is in a very good state of preservation. Only it needs a good cleaning.
Texts and treatises on iconography prescribe the order of the goddesses as given above. On the panel VaiÀ¸av¢ should have the fifth place. In Mukte¿vara temple Kaum¡r¢ is placed in the third position, i. e. áiva V¢¸¡dhara, Br¡hm¢, Kaum¡r¢, M¡h®¿var¢, VaiÀ¸av¢ etc. The reason for this alteration is unknown.
Ra´gama¸·apa, S£rya. | Ra´gama¸·apa, east facade, to the north of the porch, áurya.
Facing south is an image of Sun god S£rya placed on a pedestal on which seven horses have been represented. Sun, according to áivapur¡¸a is the disc of áiva. So the worship of Sun god was very popular when the L¡ku½a¿aiva movement was quite fervent. In many temples such as Brahm®¿vara temple at Abl£ru, áiva temple at Mattiha½½i etc. a special sanctum sanctorum was built for the Sun god.
However, the statue of Sun god in the Mukte¿vara temple at Cau·ad¡napura is not original. It has been saved from further damage and decay from the neighbouring village NarasiÆhapura temple. Probably, there must have been a statue of S£rya in Mukte¿vara temple also. But, that statue had been lost. As the seat of the Sun god seems to be in its original place the statue must have been stolen, leaving the empty p¢¶ha (pedestal) in situ. The image of Sun god hailing from elsewhere has filled up the vacant seat. This is an interesting piece of sculpture. S£rya is carved standing under snake hood.
Nandin, temple of Some¿vara at Haralahalli.
There is a beautiful couchant Nandin facing west, placed near the eastern door. Nandin or bull is the vehicle of áiva. According to Pur¡¸as and Ëgamas, at the time of pralaya (deluge) when Dharma in distress went to see áiva, the Lord assured him protection and advised him to be there as his mount. So, Dharma transformed itself into a Nandin or bull and stood there at His service. The four feet of Nandin represent: tapas, jµ¡na, yajµa and d¡na (Citras£tra of ViÀ¸udharmottara, ed. by C. Shivaramamurthy, p. 36).
In every temple dedicated to áiva an image of Nandin is installed either at the entrance of the temple complex or in one of the ma¸·apas which are contiguous to the main shrine. In Mukte¿vara temple at Cau·ad¡napura also there is a beautifully hewn image of Nandin with exquisitely decorated with bells.
The first level is the wall of the vim¡na and ra´gama¸·apa, bearing a series of niches and pilasters. The central niches were containing sculptures in the round or stelae, for the purpose of worship. They have disappeared. There remain only sculptures in low relief carved from the core of the wall.
Icons in low relief are carved in regular places. The prominent places are the niches in the angles of the vim¡na. The secondary places are the spaces in-between niches, in the centre of festoons issuing of lion heads, above the pillar-superstructure architectural motifs. In all the niches the same icon of V¢rabhadra or ár¢ka¸¶ha is found. In other places a few major deities are seen, Sarasvat¢, Ga¸e¿a and K¤À¸a on the vim¡na, Mahe¿vara on the ra´gama¸·apa; the rest is semi-gods or saints, ascetics and attendants.
On the base of the doorjambs in the southern entrance there is an attendant and a dv¡rap¡la holding ·amaru, n¡ga, gad¡, akÀam¡l¡ (on the left), another (on the right) holding arrow, severed head, gad¡ and akÀam¡l¡ and an attendant. For the eastern door there is a masculine dv¡rap¡la on the left, a feminine one on the right.
Vim¡na, west facade, V¢rabhadra or árikantha.
Images of a figure holding kha·ga, khe¶aka, bow and arrow in lower and upper right and left hands have been carved on three sides of the vim¡na on its wall or p¡da. Taking into consideration these attributes, these images can be identified with V¢rabhadra. But the personnage is adorned with a kind of dhot¢ draped in the fashion of pants called in Kanna·a calla¸a. Fine designs of checks and other decorative motifs have been shown clearly on the dress. In his Elements of Hindu Iconography Gopinatha Rao writes that ár¢ka¸¶ha has the same attributes as V¢rabhadra, but distinguishes them on the basis of their dresses. ár¢ka¸¶ha wears a dhot¢ with citra on it. Citra may be interpreted as "design, embroidery (kas£ti), coloured" On the basis of this the images of Mukte¿vara temple can be identified with ár¢ka¸ha and not with V¢rabhadra.
In the architectural motif of pillar-superstructure and lion-head motif, is seen a small relief of dancing Ga¸e¿a. His emblems are not very distinct. They are probably the elephant goad in the upper right hand, the broken tusk in the lower right hand, the sweetmeat in the lower left one. In the upper left hand, the emblem does not look like the noose, generally placed there. But it looks like either a mace or a lotus.
North wall of ra´gama¸·apa, north-west angle, sitting áiva.
A seated figure of áiva comes repeatedly in this monument. It is also on the lintels of the southern and eastern doors. His attributes are: tri¿£la and akÀam¡l¡ in the right upper and lower hands; ·amaru and m¡tulu´ga in upper and lower left hands respectively.
Vim¡na South facade, to the east of the central niche yak¿a.
According to Ëgamas and Pur¡¸as, Kubera, the treasurer of Gods, the chief of yakÀas is supposed to be the friend of áiva. Kub®ra is known for his invaluable nine kinds of treasures. Amongst them are two, áankhanidhi and Padmanidhi, which are most important. They decorate the external walls of the shrine. They are represented in the form of seated human figures with big stomach, holding either a ¿ankha (conch) or padma (lotus). Their big belly is the sign of prosperity.
The tiny icon in the festoon motif is that of a sage, sitting and worshipping a Li´ga which he holds himself in his left hand. This is the original practice of V¢ra¿aiva-s. We know from several inscriptions that the saint áivadeva introduced the mode of worship of Basava, whose disciple he is, and whom he declares to imitate. We know from the same source that he renovated a temple up to its finial. As it is not uncommon that the benefactor of a temple is represented in the pose of worshipper, we may do the hypothesis that this image of a V¢ra¿aiva worshipper is áivadeva himself. There are two such icons of a V¢ra¿aiva worshipper, respectively on the south and north wall of the ra´gama¸·apa. One may add the scene of worship on top of the inscription III.
The fact that this monument bears representations of V¢ra¿aiva worshippers suggests that it is the temple alluded to in the inscription III as renovated by áivadeva.
In similar locations, notably on the left of the previous ones, are also images of sitting sages. They have very similar pose, dress and countenance, but the gesture of the hands is indistinct and cannot be identified as holding a Li´ga for worship. These may be yogins in meditation.
The second level is the frieze of roofs which runs all around the monument, above the large protruding eave topping the wall of the vim¡na and ra´gama¸·apa.
The only prominent places for icons are the central dormer windows (n¡sik¡) in that frieze of roofs. In each one a sculptured stela was installed. All of them have disappeared. The secondary places allocated to iconic representations are the small dormer windows which are parts of the side and corner roofs (kar¸ak£¶a, paµjara).
The major deities are V¢rabhadra, Mahe¿vara, K¡ma and S£rya. S£rya has a noteworthy presence at this level; he is seen three times. Images of yakÀas, or nidhis are numerous. A figure holding a garland and a flying figure can be taken as celestial beings. A nude figure with serpents is unidentified. A few images of monkeys are the only reference to this world.
The third level, counted thus from the ground, is the middle frieze of roofs on the tower.
There are three prominent locations, the central gable-ends on south, west and north. They are allocated to low-relief sculptures of áiva, standing and of terrific aspect on the south, sitting and serene on the west, and of P¡rvat¢ dancing on the north.
In secondary locations Mahe¿vara in terrific and serene form, the goddess appear again. A place is given to K¤À¸a and two images of ascetic and worshipper are seen.
On the south, in the central gable-end there is a standing image of áiva holding in his upper and lower right hands tri¿£la and kha·ga or da¸·a, then ·amaru and m¡tulu´ga in his upper and lower left hands. A skull is hanging to his left hand carved just below the fruit. A dog is licking the blood dripping out of the skull. By the side of áiva are carved two skeleton-like male bh£tas or vampires. When there is kha·ga there must be kh®¶aka. In the absence of kh®¶aka the attribute in the hands of áiva here can be taken as da´·a or lagu·a. In Karn¡¶aka images of áiva with lagu·a are frequently met with in the temples of this period. The image of áiva in Mukte¿vara temple can be identified with áiva Lagu·¢¿vara. It is bedecked with all sorts of ornaments including vaijayant¢h¡ra
On the west side of the vim¡na, in the central dormer-window (bhadra n¡sik¡), an image of seated áiva has been represented. He holds in the right upper and lower hands tri¿£la with skull, and akÀam¡l¡ in abhayahasta; in the left hands upper and lower ·amaru with skull and m¡tulu´ga fruit. Here the image is adorned with kir¢¶amuku¶a and all kinds of ornaments. Below his seat is seated Nandin with profile facing north. Can this image be identified with Sadyoj¡tam£rti? There are cauri bearers on either side of the main image. The same icon is represented on the north wall in smaller size, in the motif of the lion head and makara.
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