Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Kashi Vishwanath Temple, most prominent temple at Pattadakal is the Virupaksha temple. It was built by queen Trilokya Mahadevi in the 7th century. One Nagara style wonderful 8th-century temple built here. It is believed to be the last Hindu temple built in Pattadakal monuments. The temple has only sanctum left and the remaining parts are collapsed. The sanctum is supported by two pillars and has a Shivalinga carved out of black stone. The doorway of the sanctum has a carving of Garuda holding snakes. The bottom of the doorway has nice sculptures of female figures in different postures. The pillars of the temple have nice carvings with great details. One of the pillars has a nicely engraved image of Shiva-Parvathi marriage and another one with Krishna Leela from Bhagavatam. Other images on the pillars include Ravana lifting Kailasa, Lord Shiva chasing demon Tripurasura. There are also a few pillar reliefs of men riding mythical animals. The ceiling has a large figure of Shiva Parvathi with baby Skanda, The ceiling relief is supported by large sculptures of animals.