Ancient Someshwara Temple of Kabballi,Chikkamagaluru

This monograph delivers an exhaustive architectural documentation, epigraphical survey, and iconographical assessment of the Someshwara (also documented as Somesvara or Somalingeshvara) Temple complex situated at Kabballi village, Kadur taluk, Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka. Historically constructed during the apogee of the Hoysala dynasty (circa 12th to 13th century CE), the monument stands as an exemplary realization of the Trikuta (triple-sanctum) typology. Uniquely, the temple incorporates a profound theological synthesis that places Shaiva, Saura, and Vaishnava worship on an equal architectural footing within a unified sacred geometry. Utilizing high-resolution field photography, spatial mapping, and epigraphical cross-referencing with Epigraphia Carnatica (Volume VI: Inscriptions in the Kadur District), this research elucidates five core dimensions: (1) the geometrical layout adhering to square-and-circle Vastu-Purusha-Mandala principles; (2) the hypostyle Navaranga mandapa featuring monolithic lathe-turned chloritic schist/granite pillars and perforated stone lattice screens (Jalis); (3) the exterior elevation (Adhisthana and Jangha) showcasing stepped pyramidal aedicular shrine models (vimana reliefs); (4) the monumental Old Kannada (Halegannada) stone inscription (Shasana Kallu) documenting local royal endowments and feudal administrative boundaries; and (5) multi-tiered memorial hero stones (Veeragallu) preserving the martial history of the medieval Malnad-Maidan frontier.