Mallikarjuna Temple, Pattadakal

Mallikarjuna Temple is an 8th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located within the Pattadakal Group of Monuments in Bagalkot district, Karnataka. Built around 740 CE by Queen Trailokyamahadevi of the Chalukya dynasty, it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Pattadakal. Notable for its Dravidian architectural style, intricately carved sandstone vimana, sculpted pillars and detailed mythological reliefs, it exemplifies early Chalukyan temple art on the banks of the Malaprabha River.

Visitors can expect a well-preserved sandstone temple within the enclosed Pattadakal temple complex on the banks of the Malaprabha River. The temple features a Dravidian-style vimana, a pillared mukhamandapa, a Nandi pavilion facing the sanctum, and extensive carvings depicting scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Shiva legends. The site is an open-air archaeological park with multiple temples set in landscaped grounds, pathways for walking between shrines, and an archaeological museum nearby.