Ishvara Temple (Arasikere)

The Ishvara Temple (also spelt Ishwara or Isvara) in Arasikere, Hassan district of Karnataka state, India, dates to c. 1220 CE rule of Hoysala Empire. Arasikere ("lit" "Queens tank"; 'Arasi' means "queen" or "princess" and 'kere' means "tank" in the Kannada language) is located 60 km north the historic city of Mysore and 41 km southwest of Hassan city.Gowda (2006), p. 19] The temple, which is dedicated to Hindu God Shiva, though modest in size and figure sculpture, is considered the most complex in architecture among surviving Hoysala monuments because of its ground plan: a 16-pointed star shaped "mantapa" (hall), in addition to an asymmetrical star shaped shrine, whose star points are of three different types.Foekema (1996), p. 41–42]

Temple plan

The temple, which faces east like all Hoysala constructions, uses soapstone as basic building materialKamath (2001), p. 136] and is a "ekakuta" shrine (single shrine or cella) with two "mantapas", one open and one closed.Foekema (1966), p. 42] All three units are connected to form a unity.Foekema (1996), p. 21] The sanctum ("garbhagriha") enshrines a "linga", the universal symbol of God Shiva. The "mantapa" is where the devotees gather. The closed "mantapa" does not have any windows. The ceiling in the closed "mantapa" is divided into nine compartments or "bays" by the four lathe turned pillars that support the ceiling. The unusual stellate design of the open "mantapa" is a deviation from the "staggered square"–a standard in Hoysala constructions,In staggered square halls, the wall form many projections and recesses, each projection bearing a complete architectural articulation with many decorations (Foekema 1996, p. 21)] and offers no opening for devotees to enter the temple. The entrance is through a "bay"A square compartment of a hall (Foekema 1996, p. 93)] between the two "mantapas". The shrine has a tower (superstructure or "Sikhara") which is intact, though the finial ("Kalasha") is a recent replacement. The vestibule, which connects the shrine to the closed "mantapa" has its own tower called "Sukanasi". The term "nose" is sometimes used to describe this tower because it is a low protrusion of the main tower (tower over the shrine). On this "nose" is an image of a bull (Nandi), which may be a more recent addition.Foekema (1996), p. 22]

The outer wall of the vestibule shares the same decoration as the outer wall of the shrine, but is inconspicuous because it forms a short continuation between the wall of the shrine and that of closed "mantapa". The outer wall of the shrine is stellate, but the star points are not identical, rather they form three different kinds of star points, making the design complicated and unusual. The lower half of the outer wall of the shrine and the outer wall of the closed "mantapa" share the same architectural articulation. The open hall, with its 16-pointed star plan is most unusual design built by Hoysala architects. The central ceiling in the closed "mantapa" and the vestibule are decorated elaborately.

Both the interior and exterior of the temple shows interesting workmanship. The elegantly decorated ceilings, the domical ceiling of the open "mantapa", the sculptures of Dwarapalakas (door keepers) in the closed "mantapa" (also called "navaranga"), the wall panel images numbering 120 (on pilasters between aedicules–miniature towers) carved on the outer walls are noteworthy.

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