MAHADEV TEMPLE, TAMBDISURLA
THE TEMPLE IS LOCATED IN MOLEM WILD LIFE SANCTUARY, ON THE LEFT BANK OF A NATURAL STREAM, LOCALLY KNOWN AS ‘VAZAR SAKALACHO WHAL’ AMIDST LUSH GREEN SETTINGS.
THE TEMPLE IS FACING EAST AND STANDS ON A SIMPLE MOULDED PLINTH. IT CONSISTS OF GARBHAGRIHA, AN ANTARALA AND A PILLARED MUKHAMANDAPA WHERE A STONE SCULPTURE OF NANDI IS SEATED. THE MUKHAMANDAPA IS ACCESSIBLE FROM THREE SIDES WITH BALUSTRADE ENTRANCES TOWARDS THE EAST, NORTH AND SOUTH. THE RAW MATERIAL USED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF TEMPLE IS CHLORITIC SCHIST, WHICH IS A SOFT STONE ON WHICH INTRICATE CARVINGS ARE POSSIBLE THE MUKHAMANDAPA IS EMBELLISHED WITH FOUR CARVED LATHE TURNED PILLARS AND KAKSHASANA ON THREE SIDES AND IS EXTERNALLY DECORATED WITH ROSETTES. A RELIEF SCENE OF AN ELEPHANT TRAMPLING A HORSE IS CARVED ON AN EASTERN PILLAR WHICH IS VERY PROMINENT. THE CAPITALS OF PILLARS ARE CARVED WITH THE NAGABANDHAS AND THE CEILING IS DECORATED WITH INTRICATELY CARVED LOUTS FLOWERS OF ASHTAKON VARIETY THE PERFORATED STONE LATTICED SCREEN WITH DEVAKOSTAS DECORATES THE ENTRANCE OF THE GARBHAGRIHA AND THE LATHE TURNED PILLARS OF THE MANDAPA SUGGEST STRONG INFLUENCE OF THE HOYSALA ART. THE FOUR DEVAKOSTAS FACING THE EAST, SOUTH AND NORTH HAVING MINIATURE DECORATED PILLARS ON EITHER SIDE, RESEMBLE THE PILLARS OF MUKHAMANDAPA. THE PINNACLE IS DECORATED WITH MINIATURE KADAMBA SHIKHARA.
THE EXTERIOR WALL OF THE GARBHAGRIHA IS SIMPLE AND RAISED FROM THE MOULDED ADHISTHANA RIDGED BY SIMPLE ARDHASTAMBAS. THE TWO TIERED KADAMBA-NAGRA VIMANA WAS EMBELLISHED WITH SCULPTURES LIKE LAKSHMI-NARAYAN AND VISHNU-JANARDHAN, BESIDES GAJALAKSHMI FLANKED BY GANESH AND SARASWATI ON NORTHERN, DANCING SIVA AND SIVA-PARVATI ON WESTERN AND BHAIRAVA AND BRAHMA ON THE SOUTHERN SIDES. THE ANTARALA AND GARBHAGRIHA OF THE TEMPLE HAVE REMARKABLE RESEMBLANCE WITH KALLESHWAR TEMPLE AT BALAMBID IN DHARWAD DISTRICT AND JAIN TEMPLE AT BELGAUM IN KARNATAKA. ALL THESE TEMPLES HAVE PLAIN WALLS WITHOUT NICHES WITH TWO-TIERED SHIKHARA
THE TEMPLE REFLECTS THE LATER CHALUKYAN AND HOYSALA
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES AND EXPRESSES SYNCHRONIZATION OF FAITH REVEALED THROUGH THE PRESENCE OF VAISHNAVITE DEITIES ALTHOUGH THE TEMPLE IS DEDICATED TO SIVA, THUS IMPARTING A UNIQUE PLACE IN THE GOA KADAMBA TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE AND IS DATABLE TO 13TH CENTURY A D.
Archaeological Survey of India
