Temple Architecture of Rashtrakutas
The reign of Rashtrakutas was from 753 AD to 982 AD. The rashtrakutas were great patrons of architecture. The Rashtrakuta architecture was a splendid form of Rock cut architecture. Most of the shrines were Buddhist caves such as Ellora and Elephanta at Maharashtra. Notable example is the Kailashnath Temple at Ellora.
Numerous inscriptions issued by various kings of the Rashtrakuta dynasty help in recognising a large number of temples built during their reign. There was a great outburst of both Hindu and Jaina temples by the Rashtrakutas in northern Karnataka. The Rashtrakuta architects continued the Badami Chalukyan tradition of temple style and began the introduction of new ideas, motifs and new set of plans which included the erection of dvikuta and trikuta temples often necessitated by religious considerations. The Traipurusha concept resulted in the consecration of the trimurtis either in separate garbhagribas or in the same garbhagriba. The Navalinga temple at Kuknur built over a period of time ultimately resulted in the conglomeration on nine shrines in one temple complex.
The Rashtrakuta architects continued to use the red sand stone for building temples. In closing stages of their reign, the architects also used schist stone building temples at Sogala and Hooli. The Rashtrakuta architects continued to construct temples having garbhagriba, ardhamandapa, sabhamandapa and added a separate mandapa for the Nandi image opposite the main shrine. The Markandeswara temple at Sirwal is a good example of the separate Nandi pavilion. Among the dvikuta temples constructed during the Rashtrakuta reign are the Narayana temple at Savadi and Jodkalasa temple at Sudi. The Someswara and Narayan temples at Naregal originally a Jaina basadi built in $950 CE$, is divided into two temples under different names. The temple consists of a garbhagriba, an antarala or ardbamandapa and a sabhamandapa or navaranga. This navaranga opens into a large mukhamandapa and the sides of the mukhamandapa are adjoined by garbhagribas making it a trikuta plan.
The Rashtrakuta temples are generally built on a low or medium adisthana which indicates the continuation of a few mouldings of the Badami Chalukyan style of adisthana. The Rashtrakuta temples have two dominant types of wall decoration, the first one is simple and plain and the second one is wall decorated with a series of narrow tetragonal pilasters. Often pilasters exhibit a square bell in top position.
