Ikkeri, Shimoga, Karnataka India

Ikkeri is a historical place located at a distance of 3 km from Sagar in Shimoga district. Ikkeri was the capital of the Keladi rulers for about 120 years. After Ikkeri the capital was moved to Nagara and then to Kavaledurga.

The prime attraction of Ikkeri is the Aghoreshwara Temple. The Aghoreshwara Temple in Ikkeri was constructed by the Keladi Nayakas, who were once upon a time feudatories to the Vijayanagara Empire.

The Aghoreshwara temple in Ikkeri is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Temple looks with vast open outer space throughout the temple compound. The Aghoreshwara temple is found in a big rectangular compound which is on a slightly higher ground. Instead of the tower gateway (Gopura) to the temple compound a simple but superb cubical arch carved out of granite across the small passage with many steps.

As soon as you enter the temple, it is really simple to grasp the plan of the temples and other structures interior. The very first thing is an prominent shrine of Nandi in the axis of this main temple. It can be rare to get this kind of large Nandi image having a glasslike finish.