Siddhesvara Temple is located in Haveri city in Haveri district of Karnataka state. It is an example of Western Chalukya art from the 12th century and is known for its sculptures of many Hindu deities. Locally also known as Purada Siddeshwara.
This temple is about 337 km from Bangalore and 78 km from Hubli. And it is 1.5 km away from Haveri city by road. Just 500 meters from Haveri Nagar Railway Station.
The temple is open from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM.
The temple is currently a Shaiva temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The inscriptional evidence suggests that the initial dedication of the temple was in the late 11th century. An interesting aspect of the temple is that it faces west instead of facing the rising sun in the east. The Siddhesvara temple, built of soapstone, is situated at the eastern end of the town. From inscriptions, Haveri was originally known as Nalpuri and is one of the oldest agraharas (place of learning) in modern Karnataka. In the 11th century the inscriptional evidence mentions a village memorial grant to 400 Brahmins in the town.
The temple resembles some of the Chalukya temples around Haveri. Mukteshwar Temple at Chavudaiyadanapura, Someshwara Temple at Haralahalli and Siddharameshwar Temple at Niralagi. The entire basement of this temple is a few feet below, making it necessary to descend to the open mandapam.
The medieval figure sculpture at the Siddheshwar temple is a Shaiva temple that came initially from a Vaishnava then a Jain temple and then finally to the worshipers of Shiva. On the back wall of the temple there is an image of Sun God under small kirtimukhas. An idol of Shiva is carved from a free-standing stone slab and adorns the front of the shikhara on the roof of the mandapam. The temple plan has all the hallmarks of 11th century Chalukya construction with a Dravidian architectural structure, to which some innovative 12th century elements such as miniature decorative towers have been added.
The mantapa in the temple contains sculptures of Uma Maheshwar, Vishnu and Lakshmi, Sun God, Naga and female Naga deities, Ganapati and Kartikeya. The mantapa depicts an image of Shiva with four arms, holding his attributes: Damaru, a chain of Rudrakshimani and the Trishul. His lower left hand holds Goddess Uma sitting on Shiva’s lap. Uma’s sculpture is well decorated with garlands, big earrings and curly hair. A naga and a nagini with their tails entwined are seen on the side of the doorway with an image of Parvati. In one of the niches is an image with a curious male figure with six hands. The lower two hands hold the Linga.
A detail of the outer wall of the shrine and the Dravidian style superstructure (Shikhara) wall sculpture in the Siddheshwar temple includes reliefs and aedicules on kirtimukhas. Siddeshvara Temple The Siddeshvara temple at Hero Stone, Haveri, of the Kirtimukha Chalukya period, faces the sanctum sanctorum with an open mandapa with a bay ceiling supported by lathe turned pillars made of soapstone.
Above the entrance are images of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, with Shiva in the middle. Ganapati and Kartikeya flank Brahma and Vishnu. There is a perforated stone window on either side of the doorway, and the main sanctum sanctorum has a simple lingam. Some of the ceiling panels contain images of Saptamatrika. But on one column there are images of Ashtadikpalaka along with the Hindu trinity and Surya. Saptamatrikas are carved into the wall of a step well outside. Saptamatrika sculptures on friezes usually have female deities, each identified with a child in their lap to signify motherhood, and their male counterpart seen below them in a vehicle.
