The Twin Temples at Mosale (ಮೊಸಳೆ)

East Face of the Temple The east face of the wall has four images.      From your right the images are : 1. It is not possible to identify the image as its arms are broken. 2. ASHTABHUJA AASEENA DURGAA (ಅಷ್ಟಭುಜ ಆಸೀನ ದುರ್ಗಾ) with some arms broken . A serpent is seen below. 3. Sthaanaka DURGAA (ಸ್ಥಾನಕ  ದುರ್ಗಾ). 4. Sthaanaka SHIVA (ಸ್ಥಾನಕ ಶಿವ )holding a serpent and trident. Two arms are broken. On the pedestal is the Kannada inscription NANDA ( ನನ್ದ ).

The images on the walls of the NAAGESHVARA TEMPLE mostly belong to SHAIVA (ಶೈವ) and SHAAKTA (ಶಾಕ್ತ) iconography, the temple being dedicated to SHIVA [ the images in  HINDU TEMPLES fall into three groups : SHAIVA (ಶೈವ), SHAAKTA (ಶಾಕ್ತ) and VAISHNAVA (ವೈಷ್ಣವ), respectively belonging to the three cults of SHIVA (ಶಿವ), SHAKTI (ಶಕ್ತಿ) and VISHNU (ವಿಷ್ಣು) ]. A number of images bear their names in Kannada on their pedestals but unfortunately they cannot be easily read because of the damages that have been caused to them. For the purpose of our study the temple walls are divided into eight sections based on the direction that the wall faces. The divisions are : East Face, South Face, West Face, North Face, West Face, North Face, East Face and South Face.

The walls above the basement have plenty of sculptures. The images are about 2' in height. Most of the images are placed under canopies borne on single or double pilasters above which are turrets which have an endless variety of design. Some images are placed under TORANAS (ತೋರಣಗಳು) above which rise up bands of scroll work. The photos below of two sections of the external walls of the temple give an idea as to how the images look like.

Naageshvara Temple - South Face The picture above is the South face of the temple under study. Authorities on the subject hold the opinion that the temple was built on a high platform of granite slabs. Above the platform is the ADHISHTAANA (ಅಧಿಷ್ಠಾನ) or BASEMENT of the temple which is 4'6" high. It has the usual deep-cut lines with five panels. The panels  which are uncarved are at once different from those that are noticed in the LAKSHMINARASIMHA TEMPLE at NUGGEHALLI.

It is not exactly known as to when the two temples were built. No inscription regarding the construction of the twin temples has been found. However from the form of the images, the sculptural work and the ceiling designs, all of which resemble those at the temples at HOSAHOLALU (ಹೊಸಹೊಳಲು) and SOMANAATHPURA which were built around the middle of the thirteenth century, it is guessed that the two temples under study were built around 1250.