Kalleshwara temple, Davanagere

This ancient temple of Kalleshwara is located the town of Bagali in the Davanagere district. The temple has seen the rule of two dynasties; Rashtrakuta and Western Chalukyas. The temple was constructed by a person called Duggimayya. There are erotic carvings on the temple walls, which are referred to as late Rashtrakuta. The temple was built in the vimana style of architecture. There are 36 old inscriptions in Kannada dialect that dates back to 10th and 11th centuries. This temple is protected by the ASI. The temple dates back to 987 AD and the shrines dedicated to Lord Sun, Lord Narasimha, Goddess Mahishasuramardini, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Anantashayana and Goddess Saraswathi can be seen in the temple premises. The presiding deity is Lord Shiva and there are eight small shrines within the temple premises. There are beautiful lathe turned pillars in the temple and this is a major attraction in Davanagere.