Devi Temple : Durga, Aihole, Deccan

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Aihole is a small village in the northern Kanara, Deccan. Durga

temple is a fascinating sight, for seen from a distance, it resembles

the image of Yoni within which is set a Siva Linga. An apsidal

structure built on a high, moulded plinth, it is a contemporary to,

or slightly younger then the Lad Khan ( which is a Sivan temple.

Originally was a shrine where a muslim hermit once lilved. The temple

was named after the hermit)

 

It is also a rare structure belonging to a short lived experiment

which attempts to curved plan of the Buddhist chaitya with a rounded

end where the alter is located. In front of it is located a small,

square alter probably used for the vehicle of goddess Durga, the

tiger.

 

Sparely decorated, the temple also possesses plain stone exteriors

with some carving detail on the pillars of the gallery that surrounds

the structure enclosing the pradakshina path. It is unlike later

temples all over the country that utilized ornate external portions

and austere interiors.

 

The inside of the Durga temple's veranda-like Pradakshina path had

decorative chaitya windows, and is also carved with figures whose

features one usually associated with Buddhist sculpture. In its rough-

hewn style, the temple greatly resembles the ancient rock-cut caved

of Karli or Ellora, rather than the intricacy of the free standing

stones temple. Its garba grha is topped by a short curvilinear

shikhara, more in the Nagara style than the Dravida, with carved

vertical segments protruding out from the curving building.

 

 

 

OM Parashaktiye Namaha