Durga temple, Aihole

Durga temple
Durga temple
Religion
Affiliation	Hinduism
District	Bagalkot
Location
Location	Aihole
State	Karnataka
Country	India
	Location in Karnataka Durga temple, Aihole (Karnataka)
Geographic coordinates	16°1′14.4″N 75°52′55″E / 16.020667°N 75.88194°E
Architecture
Creator	Chalukya dynasty
Completed	late 7th - early 8th century

The Durga temple is an early 8th-century Hindu temple located in Aihole, Karnataka, India. Originally dedicated to Surya, it has the most embellished and largest relief panels in Aihole depicting artwork of Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Vedic deities.^[1] Apart from its fine carvings, it is notable for its apsidal plan – a rare example among early Chalukyan Hindu temple architecture.^[2]^[3]

Though dedicated to Surya, the temple is now named Durga because a durg or fortified lookout was constructed on top of it after the 13th-century during the wars between Hindu kingdoms and Islamic Sultanates. This rubble lookout survived through the 19th-century when this site was rediscovered (it is now gone, temple has been restored). The Durga temple is the most prominent attraction in Aihole for tourist and scholars. It is a part of a pending UNESCO World Heritage Site application.^[4]

^ M. A. Dhaky & Michael W. Meister 1983, pp. 49–52.
^ Michell, 330-332
^ Michell (2011), pp. 82–86
^ "Evolution of Temple Architecture – Aihole-Badami- Pattadakal". UNESCO. 2004. Retrieved 21 October 2015.

[FOOTNOTEM._A._DhakyMichael_W._Meister198349–52-1] M. A. Dhaky & Michael W. Meister 1983, pp. 49–52.

[2] Michell, 330-332

[gm2011-3] Michell (2011), pp. 82–86

[unescobct2004-4] "Evolution of Temple Architecture – Aihole-Badami- Pattadakal". UNESCO. 2004. Retrieved 21 October 2015.

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