Annigeri
Encyclopedia
Annigeri is a town in Navalgund taluk of Dharwad district
Dharwad District
Dharwad District is an administrative district of the state of Karnataka in southern India. Dharwad is the cultural headquarters of North Karnataka....

 in the state of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, located 20 km west of Gadag en route to Hubli and 35 km from Hubli-Dharwad.

Introduction

Annigeri is the place of birth
Place of birth
The place of birth is the place where a person was born. This place is often used in legal documents, together with name and date of birth, to uniquely identify a person. The place of birth is not necessarily the place where the parents of the new baby live. If the baby is born in a hospital in...

 of the famous Kannada poet Adikavi Pampa
Adikavi Pampa
Pampa , called by the honorific Ādikavi is one of the greatest Kannada poets of all time.He is very famous even today for his philosophical beliefs...

. It is well known for the black stone temple built by the Western Chalukya Empire. known as Amruteshwara Temple. A temple of mythological figures supported by 76 columns, located in the Dharwad district
Dharwad District
Dharwad District is an administrative district of the state of Karnataka in southern India. Dharwad is the cultural headquarters of North Karnataka....

, and has a derasar
Derasar
A derasar is a temple for followers of Jainism, except for non-murtipujak Svetambaras. Derasar is a word used in Gujarat, Kutch and parts of Rajasthan, in other parts of India, the term Jain Mandir is used for all the Jain temples. Jain idols of Tirthankaras are worshipped there...

 dedicated to Parshva
Parshva
Pārśva or Paras was the twenty-third Tirthankara "Ford-Maker" in Jainism . He is the earliest Jain leader generally accepted as a historical figure. Pārśva was a nobleman belonging to the Kshatriya varna....

, the 23rd Tirthankara in Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...

.
Annigeri also has temples dedicated to Banashankari, Basappa, Gajina Basappa and Hanuman.
There is an ancient Lingayati temple near the railway station.

Annigeri has seven mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...

s and two Lingayati
Lingayatism
Lingayatism, also known as Veerashaivism, is a distinct Shaivite denomination in India. It makes several departures from mainstream Hinduism and propounds monotheism through worship centered on Lord Shiva. It also rejects the authority of the Vedas and the caste system. The adherents of this faith...

 Matha
Matha
A matha ) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of Hinduism and Jainism. A matha is usually more formal, hierarchical, and rule-based than an ashram.-Advaita Mathas:...

s.

History

Annigeri was an important political and cultural center in the past. Various kings like the Chalukya dynasty, Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri and the Hoysala Empire
Hoysala Empire
The Hoysala Empire was a prominent South Indian Kannadiga empire that ruled most of the modern day state of Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur but was later moved to Halebidu....

 annexed the town, which once formed part of the kingdoms of the Kalachuri
Kalachuri
Kalachuri Empire is this the name used by two kingdoms who had a succession of dynasties from the 10th-12th centuries, one ruling over areas in Central India and were called Chedi or Haihaya and the other southern Kalachuri who ruled over parts of Karnataka...

s.

Annigeri was the last capital of the Chalukyas, Someshwara 4 (during 1184-89) and it was headquarters of famous rich province of Belvola-300.

Annigeri comes under the core area of Western Chalukya architectural activity in the modern Karnataka state. The Amrtesvara Temple is the finest examples produced by the Kalyani Chalukyas (Western Chalukya architecture
Western Chalukya architecture
Western Chalukya architecture , also known as Kalyani Chalukya or Later Chalukya architecture, is the distinctive style of ornamented architecture that evolved during the rule of the Western Chalukya Empire in the Tungabhadra region of central Karnataka, India, during the 11th and 12th centuries...

).

In 1157 the Kalachuris under Bijjala II
Bijjala II
Bijjala II 1130 - 1167 CE was the most famous of the southern Kalachuri kings and ruled initially as a feudatory of Chalukya Vikramaditya VI. He ruled as the Mahamandalesvara or chief and ruled over Karhada 4,000 and Tardavadi 1,000, designations given to...

 captured Basavakalyan
Basavakalyan
Basavakalyan is a town in Bidar District of the state of Karnataka, India, and was historically known as Kalyan.-History:Basavakalyan's history dates back to 3000 years with its name being mentioned in Guru Charitra....

 and occupied it for the next twenty years, forcing the Chalukyas to move their capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....

 to Annigeri in the present-day Dharwad district.

To Provide education at the primary and Vedic levels, Annigeri had five Brahmapuris.

In 2010, over 100 human skulls were found in a drain at Annigeri. According to the preliminary theories, the area may have been a mass grave around some 150-200 years ago, or it may have been a battle ground. After the discovery, the Archaeological Survey of India
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...

 officials visited the site, and the government of Karnataka ordered an excavation. After the excavation, 471 skulls were found on a stretch of 15.6 metres by 1.7 metres. As of 2011, the archaeologists were searching for any mention of a massacre in the local folklore or history.

Adikavi Pampa

Annigeri is the birthplace of the great Kannada poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

, Adikavi Pampa
Adikavi Pampa
Pampa , called by the honorific Ādikavi is one of the greatest Kannada poets of all time.He is very famous even today for his philosophical beliefs...

.
  • Benjamin Loirice first wrote about Pampa
    Pampa
    The Pampas are the fertile South American lowlands, covering more than , that include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba, most of Uruguay, and the southernmost Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul...

     and published the Pampa Bharata in 1882.
  • Sri S G Narasimhachar brought out Adi Purana in 1900 and
  • Kannada Sahitya Parishat published the revised edition of Pampa Bharata In 1931.
  • Govt. of Karnataka established the Pampa Foundation at Annigeri and also

instituted Pampa award.
  • The Kannada University
    Kannada University
    Kannada University, also called Hampi Kannada University or Hampi University, is a higher education university in Hampi, Karnataka, founded in the year 1991, with the aim to develop the Kannada language and to promote the literature, traditions, culture, and folklore of Karnataka.-Sections:The...

     Hampi
    Hampi
    Hampi is a village in northern Karnataka state, India. It is located within the ruins of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Predating the city of Vijayanagara, it continues to be an important religious centre, housing the Virupaksha Temple, as well as several other...

      instituted Nadoja award in memory of

Pampa.

Tourist attractions

Amruteshwara Temple

The Amruteshwara Temple was built in the Dharwad District
Dharwad District
Dharwad District is an administrative district of the state of Karnataka in southern India. Dharwad is the cultural headquarters of North Karnataka....

 in 1050 CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...

 with dravida articulation, and was the first temple made of soapstone
Soapstone
Soapstone is a metamorphic rock, a talc-schist. It is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich in magnesium. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occurs in the areas where tectonic plates are subducted, changing rocks by heat and pressure, with influx...

.

The large and black stone Amruteshwar Temple is in the Kalyani Chalukyas style. The temple has a roof supported by 76 pillars and carvings of
mythological figures on its walls.

The Amruteshwara Temple was to be the prototype for later, more articulated structures such as the Mahadeva Temple (Itagi)
Mahadeva Temple (Itagi)
Itagi is in Yalburga Taluk, Koppal District, in North Karnataka, Karnataka, India. It is about 7 km from Kuknur. It is near to Lakkundi about 20 km.Itagi is famous for the Chalukya style Mahadeva Temple...

 at Itagi
Itagi
Itagi is a village in the southern state of Karnataka, India. It is located in the Khanapur taluk of Belgaum district in Karnataka.-Demographics: India census, Itagi had a population of 8331 with 4223 males and 4108 females....

. Based on the general plan of the Amrtesvara Temple, the Mahadeva Temple was built in 1112 CE and has the same architectural components as its predecessor. There are, however, differences in their articulation.

Car Festival

During December and January, Amruteshwara temple is the venue of a festival.

Other temples

Many other temples are also seen at Annigeri, such as:
  • The Banashankari Temple
  • The Gajina Basappa Temple
  • The Hire Hanuman Temple
  • Puradhireshwar Temple

Geography

Annigeri is located at 15.43°N 75.43°E. It has an average elevation of 624 metres (2047 feet).

Demographics

India census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, Annigeri had a population of 25,709. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Annigeri has an average literacy rate of 55%, lower than the national average of 59.5%; with 61% of the males and 39% of females literate. 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.

See also

  • Western Chalukya temples
    Western Chalukya temples
    Some famous temples built by the Western Chalukyas are included in the table below.-References:...

  • Western Chalukya architecture
    Western Chalukya architecture
    Western Chalukya architecture , also known as Kalyani Chalukya or Later Chalukya architecture, is the distinctive style of ornamented architecture that evolved during the rule of the Western Chalukya Empire in the Tungabhadra region of central Karnataka, India, during the 11th and 12th centuries...

  • Western Chalukya Empire
  • North Karnataka
    North Karnataka
    North Karnataka is an arid plateau from elevation in the Karnataka state of southwest India. It is drained by the Krishna River and its tributaries the Bhima, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, and Tungabhadra...

  • Tourism in North Karnataka
  • Gadag
  • Lakshmeshwar
    Lakshmeshwar
    Lakshmeshwara is a town in Shirahatti taluk, Gadag district, North Karnataka, in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is about 50 km from Gadag and 55 km from Hubli. Lakshmeshwara is an agricultural trading town....

  • Lakkundi
    Lakkundi
    Lakkundi in Gadag District of Karnataka is a tiny village on the way to Hampi from Hubli. Lakkundi 11 km from Gadag in the east...

  • Mahadeva Temple (Itagi)
    Mahadeva Temple (Itagi)
    Itagi is in Yalburga Taluk, Koppal District, in North Karnataka, Karnataka, India. It is about 7 km from Kuknur. It is near to Lakkundi about 20 km.Itagi is famous for the Chalukya style Mahadeva Temple...

  • Dambal
    Dambal
    Dambal is a village in the Gadag district of the state of Karnataka, India. It was an ancient center of Buddhism and remained so as late as the 12th century.Dambal is at an elevation of 590 metres and its population is 21,096.-History:...

  • Kundgol
    Kundgol
    Kundgol is a panchayat town in Dharwad district in the Indian state of Karnataka.-Introduction:Kundgol is Located in Dharwad District of Karnataka is about 14 km south-west of Hubli and 32 km south-west of Dharwad....

  • Kuknur
    Kuknur
    Kuknur is in Yalaburga taluk in Koppal District, is a small town. is located about 40 km from Hospet and 7 km from Mahadeva Temple , Kuknur is renowned for its temples of the Rastrakutas and Chalukyas times, of these the Navalinga group of temples is famous.-History:Kuknur town was an...

  • Sudi
    Sudi
    Sudi , is a panchayat town in the Gadag District of Karnataka, India. It is about 30 km from Badami, 12 km from Gajendragad and 3 km from Itagi Bhimambika temple. In the past it was a important town of the Kalyani Chalukyas during 1000 AD...

  • Gajendragad

  • External links

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