Brahma Jinalaya temple – Lakkundi

About

Satyasraya Irivabedanga had the title ‘Sarvavarnadharmadhanu’ – meaning bow that respects all religions, without discrimination.

Brahma Jinalaya Temple represents the second phase of Kalyani Chalukyas art. It is said that Attimabbe donated 1,500 jewel-studded statues of Tirthankaras and 1,000 copies of the manuscript of Ponna’s ‘Santipurana’ written on the palm-leaves book. With the waning of their power, in 1191 A.D., the noted Hoysala empire king Veera Ballala II made this town an important garrison.

There are three notable freestanding sculptures in the temple. An image of Mahavira that is a little over 4 feet tall, made of black polished stone, and seated on a “lion throne” is found outside the temple. Originally this idol was housed as the original mulnayak of the temple. Neminatha is the mulnayak of the time placed in the inner sanctum of the temple with Yaksha and Yakshi on either side. There is a beautiful sculpture of seven hooded Parshva in Kayotsarga position with Yakshi and yaksha on both sides. The sculpture of Padmavati sitting with left knee upright besides Parshva depicts Goddess with goad and noose in right and left upper arms respectively and the lower hands are in varadamudra with fruit.

Cousens feels it may have been taken out and left there. The saint has an attendant on either side, holding a chowri in one hand fruit in another. An exceptionally well-rendered image of the God Brahma stands in the inner hall, and that of the goddess Saraswati stands at the entrance to the vestibule. In each of her four hands, she holds an attribute; an ankusa, a petaled flower, a book, and a citron. relief of a Jaina is carved onto the door lintel of the sanctum and outer hall, and an image of Gajalakshmi exists over the entrance to the vestibule.

Timings to Visit Brahma Jinalaya Temple

09:00 AM – 06:00 PM

How to Reach Brahma Jinalaya Temple

By Air: Hubballi Airport – 73.1 km

By Train: Gadag Junction – 11.5 km, Hubli Junction – 66.6 km

By Bus: Gadag – 12 km, Hubli Bus Stand – 77 km, Dambal – 50 km.

Address

Brahma Jinalaya Temple, Lakkundi, Karnataka 582115 India.

Content Source

Jain, Arun Kumar (2009). Faith & Philosophy of Jainism. 6. Gyan Publishing House. ISBN 9788178357232.

Kamath, Suryanath U. (2001) [1980]. A concise history of Karnataka: from pre-historic times to the present (PDF). Bangalore: Jupiter books. LCCN 80905179. OCLC 7796041.

Hardy, Adam (1995). Indian Temple Architecture: Form and Transformation: the Karṇāṭa Drāviḍa Tradition, 7th to 13th Centuries. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 9788170173120.

Also Read Place to visit in karnataka