Unfamiliar to most tourists, the area around Gadag and Lakkundi in central northern Karnataka is exceptionally rich in historical monuments, most of them associated with the Late Chalukya kings who ruled this part of the Deccan during the 11th and 12th centuries. Highlights include the magnificent stepwells at Lakkundi and Sudi; the Shri Trikuteshvara Temple in Gadag with its trio of linga shrines; the Mallikarjuna Temple at Kuruvatti overlooking the Tungabhadra, erected by Someshvara II in memory of his father; the Mahadeva Temple at Ittagi with its intricately wrought carved exterior; and the Doddabasappa Temple in Dambal laid out on a 24-point, star-shaped plan.
All of these and more are described in Chalukya Splendours by specialist scholars, who also offer an historical introduction to the Late Chalukyas and their successors in this part of Karnataka. As in previous Deccan Heritage Foundation guidebooks, Nidhi Sah has devised the beautiful layouts, and Surendra Kumar was commissioned to take the splendid photographs.
