Ikkeri

Ikkeri is situated in Shimoga district of Karnataka at about 3 km to the south of Sagar. The word Ikkeri in Kannada means "Two Streets". This place was the capital of Keladi Nayakas for some years. The walls of the city were of great extent, forming three concentric enclosures. In the citadel was a palace built with mud and timber, adorned with carvings. Today what remains is the temple of Aghoreshvara (one of the names of Lord Shiva), a large and well proportioned stone-building, constructed in a mixed style with a unique conception.



There are intricate carvings on the stone walls of the temple. There are carvings & sculptures such as Temple Relief (sculpture consisting of shapes carved on a surface so as to stand out from the surrounding background), Erotica, Fingurine, Old Kannada Manuscript, Sculpted Elephant etc.

Aghoresvara Temple

The Aghoresvara temple is a large structure, built of granite, in a uniquely mixed style that incorporates elements from Vijayanagara, the Karnata Dravida style of the Later Chalukyas and Hoysalas, as well as the architecture of the Deccan Sultanates. The temple faces north and has lofty roof and ornamental doorways on the west, north and east, the north doorway being the best with two elephants at the sides. The Garbhagriha, which is built of huge stones, contains a gigantic pedestal occupying nearly three-fourths of the whole space and sculptured all round with 32 seated female figures called shakthi peeta. In the Sukhanasi is a small translucent Nandi carved out of white spar. The temple has no navaranga doorway there are two niches, those to the right containing the figures of Ganesa and Subramanya and those to the left figures of Mahishasuramardini and Bhairava.

There are intricate carvings on the stone walls of the temple. There are carvings & sculptures such as Temple Relief, Erotica, Fingurine, Old Kannada Manuscript, Sculpted Elephant etc.