Meguti Jain Temple

Meguti Jain Temple is a 7th-century Jain temple situated atop Meguti Hill in Aihole, Bagalkot District, Karnataka. Built in 634 CE by Ravikirti, the court poet of Chalukya king Pulakeshin II, it is the earliest dated monument in Aihole and houses the famous Aihole inscription in Sanskrit. Built in early Dravidian style, the temple is dedicated to Jain Tirthankaras and offers panoramic views of the Aihole temple complex below.

Visitors can expect a hilltop temple reached by a flight of stone steps, offering panoramic views over the Aihole village and surrounding temple clusters. The structure is built in early Dravidian style with a pillared mukhamandapa, sanctum and elevated platform. Inside and on the outer wall is the renowned Aihole inscription in Sanskrit. The setting is open and relatively isolated, with stone architecture, scattered ruins and quiet surroundings typical of the Aihole archaeological area.

Built in 634 CE by Ravikirti, the Jain court poet of Chalukya king Pulakeshin II, Meguti Jain Temple is the earliest dated structure in Aihole. It bears the famous Aihole inscription in Sanskrit on its eastern wall, which records the achievements of Pulakeshin II, the Chalukya dynasty, and mentions the poet Kalidasa and Bharavi. The temple represents early Dravidian architecture and marks the transition of Chalukyan temple building traditions.

The temple is dedicated to Jain Tirthankaras and reflects the presence and patronage of Jainism under the Early Chalukyas. It is revered as an important Jain heritage site and is part of the Aihole group of monuments, demonstrating the coexistence of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist traditions in early medieval Karnataka.