Lakkundi in Gadag District of Karnataka is a tiny village on the way to Hampi from Hubli. Lakkundi is a place of antiquarian interest with as many as 50 temples..., 101 stepped wells and 29 inscriptions, spread over the period of the later Chalukyas, Kalachuris, Seuna and the Hoysalas. A great center of Kalyani Chalukyas art, there are several temples of note here.
Brahmajinalaya stands as the testimony of the high rank in the Karnataka temple Archietecture.Brahma Jainalaya was built by queen Danachintamani Attimabbe is the largest of many Jain temples in Lakkundi. This Basadi is dedicated to Adinatha, the most revered saint of Jainism.
This Basadi is perhaps one of the earliest examples of temples in this area built of a kind of fine textured chloritic schist as distinct from the hitherto used sandstone of this region. The new material, because of its less thick quarry sizes and tractability, reacted on the workmanship, with the result that the masonry courses became reduced in size and the carvings more delicate and highly finished. The temple, perhaps built in the latter half of the 11th century, has a five-storeyed vimana, square on plan from the base to the sikhara, and had originally a closed square navaranga in front, though an open mandapawas added in front later on.
Basadi has a well fastened Mukha mantapa. and Open hall proped by central pillars decorated with beautiful carving. The Garbagudi holds the idol of Neminatha Tirthankara. The central bay of the navaranga is a larger square than the peripheral eight around it. The second storey, as in the Jaina temple at Pattadakal, is functional and has an antarala-mantapa in front over the vestibule of the lower storey. This raises the total height of the vimana considerably
Amazing!
