Brahma Jinalaya - Lakkundi

Where: Lakkundi
How to reach: 12 Kms from Gadag
Best time to visit: All the year round
Time visited: Nov 2016
Time to see around: 0.5 hrs
Stay:  Gadag
Food: Gadag
Parking: Parking available outside premises

Tour Plan
Day 1: Pune-Kittur-Varur-Annigeri-Gadag 
Day 2: Gadag-Laxmeshwar-Gadag-Sudi-Gadag
Day 3: Gadag-Dambal-Lakkundi-Itagi-Bijapur
Day 4: Bijapur-Solapur

Day 3: Gadag-Dambal-Lakkundi-Itagi-Bijapur
Gadag-Damabal (23 Kms) Damabal-Lakkundi (14 Kms) Lakkundi-Itagi ( 35 Kms) Itagi-Bijapur (191 Kms)



History as per Internet
The village is referred as Lokki-gundi in its inscriptions. It is said to be a maha-agrahara settlement consisting one thousand mahajanas. As per inscriptions, this agrahara was established by Rama during Ramayana period. Lakkundi was an ancient Agrahara and a great centre of educational and religious activities, particularly during the rule of the Chalukyas of Kalyana. The earliest inscription found here suggest influence of Jainism in this area during those times. Lakkundi has a royal-mint as evident from its inscription. A part of earnings from the mint was donated to the temples here. It is said that Attimabbe who was a patron of the famous Kannada poet Ranna had built many Jaina temples at Lakkundi of which Brahma Jinalaya is well known. 

Brahma-Jinalaya is east facing temple is the oldest Jain temple at Lakkundi. The temple consists of a garbha-grha, antarala, nava-ranga, an open mandapa and mukha-mandapa. Balustrade entrance flanked the mukha-mandapa. The open mandapa is supported on twenty-eight pillars. As observed in other Western Chalukya period temples, we do not find slanted-backrest seating like arrangement in this open mandapa. Navaranga has four pillars in center to support the ceiling above the central stage.


History as per Lakkundi Museum




The front side


The beautiful and highly decorated door jamb

The center piece of door jamb

The bottom part


Garbhagriha


The door jamb carvings

The exquisite sculptures, on left is Yakshi Padmavati and on right is Brahma with four heads and four hands. Because of this idol, the temple is called as Brahma-Jinalaya.  
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The garbhagraha has standing Bhagwan Mahavira idol.

Carvings on the pillar base


Outside the second temple



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