Papanatha Temple is a small temple located built for Mukteswara and situated to the south of Virupaksha area. From the inscriptions, it was found that the structure was completed circa 740 AD.
About Papanatha temple :
Located on the southern end of Virupaksha region is the temple of Papanatha with a big hall and an anti – chamber. There are idols of the door keepers Nandi and Virabhadra located near the doorway of the inner hall. There are around 16 massive pillars that support the ceiling of the main hall.
The carvings on the wall of the temple include figures of couples and females. Scriptures of Lord Shiva along with Goddess Parvathi are present on the ceilings of the temple along with decorative carvings on the temple walls. Some of the unique designs and carvings on the external portion of the temple include elephant figures and scenes from the epic Ramayana. As per the beliefs of the people who come here, the temple was constructed in 680 AD and in stages.
Features Papanatha temple at Pattadakal, Karnataka :
Papanatha temple is built in the vesara style dated to 680. The temple was started in nagara style but later changed to a more balanced Dravidian style. Sculptures here speak of scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharatha. This temple has many similarities with the Navabrahma temples in Alampur, Andhra Pradesh, which were also built by Badami Chalukyas.
Museum of the Plains and Sculpture gallery is maintained by the Archeological Survey of India on the Bhutanatha temple road.
Other important monuments here are the monolithic stone pillar bearing inscriptions, Naganatha temple, Chandrashekara temple and inscriptions in the Mahakuteshwara temple.
Attractions of Papanatha temple at Pattadakal, Karnataka :
Papanatha Temple is dedicated to Mukteswara according to inscriptions and seems to have been completed around 740 A.D.
This temple hold a slight change in architectural style can be known from its too narrow circumambulatory path whose floor slabs conceal the external moulding of the garbha griha walls and the buttress like projections of the north and south garbha griha-walls into the ardha-mandapa, both of which are unusual features. The temple was started in Nagara (Indo-Aryan) style but later changed to Dravidian style.
Sculptures here are from the great Hindu epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. This temple has many similarities with the Navabrahma temples in Alampur, Andhra Pradesh, which were also built by the same dynasty. Just outside the enclosure is this ornate temple built around the same time. This was an early attempt to develop the northern style of architecture, which was later abandoned in favour of the more balanced Dravidian or Pallava style.
Location :
Papanatha Temple is a small temple located built for Mukteswara and situated to the south of Virupaksha area. From the inscriptions, it was found that the structure was completed circa 740 AD. The idols of Nandi and Virabhadra had been placed in proximity of the entrance of the inner hall. Tourists visiting this temple can observe 16 massive pillars that are supporting the ceiling of the primary hall.