Durga Mandir

Front porch of the Durga Temple with its incomplete tower	Durga Mandir, an early 8th C. Hindu Temple built by the Chalukya Dynasty, Aihole	Aihole's Durga Temple was originally dedicated to Surya	The Durga Temple is considered to be the most impressive ancient monument at Aihole
The Durga Temple's rounded end is unique among early Chalukya temple architecture	An outer colonnade surrounds the Durga Temple, Aihole	Many of the exterior columns are carved with human figures	Exterior carvings, Durga Temple
Amorous couple, Durga Temple	Exterior carvings, Durga Temple	Semi-erotic couple, Durga Temple	Shiva with Nandi, Aihole Durga Temple
A somewhat more intricate exterior carving	Weathered stone carving of a couple	Some of these panels are said to be among the greatest works of early Chalukya art	The carvings on the porch are a little less worn still showing facial features
Four armed male-female deity	Main entrance to the Durga Temple	Figures of guardians and attendants on the left side of the entrance to the temple interior	Nagaraja on the porch ceiling, Durga Temple, Aihole
Rather plain interior mandapa of the Durga Temple	The pedestal of the inner sanctuary has lost its deity image	Interior carvings with an elephant decorating a column capital, Durga Temple	Decorative ceiling of the mandapa, the interior of the Durga Temple
Guardian figure of the Durga Temple	Damaged sculpture, Durga Temple	Stone screen with swastikas and crosses	Shiva and Nandi, Aihole Durga Temple
Detail of Shiva, Aihole Durga Temple	Lion-headed Narasimha, Aihole Durga Temple	Shiva and other gods line the veranda of the Durga Temple	Vishnu and Garuda, Aihole Durga Temple
Window in the form of an 8-spoked wheel	Varaha with a boar's head with Bhudevi	Varaha stepping on a Naga	Durga spearing Mahisha
Detail of Durga from the Durga Temple of Aihole	Harihara, a fused representation of Shiva and Vishnu as the supreme god	Many of the exterior figures are in poor condition	Guardian of the Durga Temple, Aihole
Detail of the ornately decorated porch of the Durga Temple, Aihole	Surya, the sun god who this temple was originally dedicated to	Porch ceiling of the Durga Temple