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Image: 11th 12th century Suryanarayana Temple, Kalgi, Karnataka India - 4

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Description: Kalgi is a village in Chittapur taluk, Gulbarga district. It is about 35 kilometers east of Gulbarga city near the Telangana-Karnataka border. Kalgi village was once much bigger and a major Deccan city in and before the Western Chalukya era. It hosted many Hindu and Jain temples, as well as monasteries. These temples include the Mallikarjuna, Suryanarayana, Siddheshwara, Neelakantha and other temples. All of these temples are in ruined state. There are extensive signs of intentional damage (defacing, chopping), worsened by natural erosion of surfaces exposed to rain and dust. According to art historian R.H. Kulkarni in a review published in June 2020, "Karnataka has a lot of ancient monuments that are part of its rich architectural tradition and sculptural heritage. But many of them remain unsung and unprotected. [...] The majority of the temples in Kalgi are very badly preserved. The Suryanarayana temple is in an especially dilapidated condition and on the verge of collapse. The Siddeshwara and Mallikarjuna temples are being used as agricultural storages by locals." The Suryanarayana temple in Kalgi – one of many Suryanarayana temples in India – is a stone structural temple. Made from black schist, it is a large temple with a square plan. Its outer walls have a galaxy of life size and smaller salabhanjikas, with deities such as Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Surya, Durga and others in the niches. The pillars are intricately carved with fusion motifs. For example, floral designs integrate sankha (Vishnu's shell), a dancer and others. Steps have large makaras (mythical animals that are part crocodile, lion, peacock etc). Ornaments and plinth mouldings have miniature detailed carvings of musicians, dancers, animals festive themes. Other carvings show scenes of kama, artha and dharma. The temple is in a state of neglect and is a spectacle of ruins.
Title: 11th 12th century Suryanarayana Temple, Kalgi, Karnataka India - 4
Credit: P. Madhusudan (see OTRS 2021020910004089)
Author: P. Madhusudan
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
License: CC0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en
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