Galageshwar Temple is a holy place in Haveri taluk of Karnataka state. Located at the confluence (merge two rivers of Varada and Tungabhadra rivers. Galageshwara Temple also known as Galganath Temple is located in a small village called Galganath, the village is famous for a temple built during Chalukya rule. It is a beautiful Shiva temple with its sculptures and intricate carvings.
Galageshwar Temple is about 344 km from Bangalore and 117 km from Hubli. Haveri is 41 km from the city. And it is 40 km away from Haveri railway station.
It is believed that Galageshwar Muni established the Galageshwar temple here. This temple is 28m long and 14m wide. Its roof is elegantly supported by four beautiful pillars. Mythological stories are carved on the walls around the temple. A feature of this temple building is its foundation. Its shape is like a pyramid. Walls were built to protect this temple from the river. There is also a Hanuman temple here. Six inscriptions of Kalyana Chalukya have been found in this town. It is known that Hoysala Vishnuvardhan donated from here. Many huge rock tombs have come to light near this village. It has large inscriptions that talk about the music and dance of that era.
This temple is dedicated to the presiding deity Shiva and is very famous for its carvings and architecture. The temple is unique due to its ideal location i.e. at the confluence of two rivers Tunga Bhadra and Varada. The place is considered sacred because of the presence of the river. Bathing in the holy waters of the Tungabhadra river is considered auspicious.
Galaganatha Temple history
The Galageshwar temple was built in the 11th century and the temple reflects the prosperity of the rich Chalukya king Vikramaditya with its carvings and sculptures. The tower is elegantly decorated with various architectural elements and fine decorations.
In inscriptions this place is mentioned as Salni or Pulluni. The temple here faces east and has garbhagriha, antarala and mukha mantapa. As the temple is on the bank of the river and the tower above the sanctum sanctorum is huge, a strong wall in the form of a pyramidal tower has been built around the temple for its safety.
The garbhagruha has a linga called Sprashya Linga and faces east in a closed hall. There are many beautiful carvings here that resemble the Chalukya style. One of them is Surya Vigraha. Holds a lotus in his hand and is seated on the seven sevens. Ushe-Pratyushe is in Makara Toran. Apart from this, Mahishasura Mardini in the pose of slaying the eight-armed Mahisha, Vishnu in a standing posture, Dashavatara sculptures carved around it and one of the most attractive sculptures here is Saraswati.
