The Nageshvara temple complex is located in Begur, a small town within the Bangalore urban district of Karnataka state, India. This comples is also called as “Panchalingeshwara Temple”, as it has 5 siva shrines built during Western Ganga rule and Chola rule. Western Ganga King Durvinita’s Mollahalli grant inscription (580-625 C.E.) mentions, Begur was once called Veppur, and Kelele.

Nagareshwara temple shrine was built during the rule of Western Ganga Dynasty Kings Nitimarga I (Ereganga Neetimarga, r. 843-870) and Ereyappa Nitimarga II (Ereganga Neetimarga II, r. 907-921). And, the remaining four temple shrines were built during Chola rule. 

Nagareshware Temple Architecture (Western Ganga)

The Nagareshwara temple has a simple square sanctum (garbhagriha), a vestibule (antarala) that connects the sanctum to a “great closed hall” (maha-mantapa or navaragna) which leads to an open hall (agra-mantapa). The entrance to the open hall is via balustraded steps in the south-west and north-west corners. The open hall has six unequally spaced pillars, with an image of Nandi (vehicle or vahana of the god Shiva) placed on a “lotus platform” (padma-pitha) in the outer bay (compartment formed between four pillars). The white granite pillars are simple in design; with a square base (pitha), plain lower part and fluted octagonal in the centre. Many parts of the temple, including the open and closed halls appear to have been subjected to renovation in later periods. The sanctum has a linga, the universal symbol of the god Shiva.

The ceiling in the closed hall (navaranga) has the characteristic Western Ganga artistic touch, the eight panel sculptures in a square grids (called the ashta-dik-palaka) which includes an image of four handed Uma-Maheshvara (the god Shiva with his consort Parvati). The ceiling of the open hall also has the grid sculptures with an seated image of Shiva and Parvati in the centre. Other sculptures kept in the hall include Mahishasuramardini (a form of the goddess Durga), a unique two handed Ganesh, and Kalabhairava (a form of Shiva). The vertical doorjamb (sakha) have the typical carvings of creepers with ganas (attendants of the god Shiva from Hindu Mythology) in loops with lotuses (padma) at the terminations. On top of the doorjamb, at the centre of the lintel (lalata), is an image of Gajalakshmi (a form of the goddess Lakshmi) with elephants on either side.