Purudkul. Ruined temple built into the village wall. [Papanatha Temple, Pattadakal.]
Photographer: Biggs, Thomas
Medium: Photographic print
Photograph of the Papanatha Temple at Pattadakal in Karnatakal, taken by Thomas Biggs in 1855, from 'Architecture in Dharwar and Mysore'. Together with neighbouring Badami and Aihole, Pataddakal on the Malaprabha river was an important centre of the Chalukya dynasty. Different branches of this dynasty ruled over portions of the Deccan at various periods. Pattadakal is thought to have been the site for the coronation ceremonies of the Early Western Chalukyas (Chalukyas of Badami) who flourished from the 6th to 8th century. The group of temples which stand in a line by the western bank of the river are considered to be the finest achievements of Chalukyan architecture, and are in diverse styles, reflecting both the northern or nagara form and the southern or dravida form of temple architecture. Dedicated to Shiva, the Papanatha is in the nagara style and is one of the largest temples at Pattadakal, built in the 8th century. It is notable for the reliefs depicting scenes from the epics of the Ramayana and Mahabharata on its outer walls.