Photograph of the Sangameshwara Temple at Pattadakal in Karnataka. The Vijayeshwara temple, commonly known as the Sangameshwara, is in the Dravida or southern style. It was commissioned by Vijayaditya who ruled between 696 and 733 AD, but it was left unfinished at his death. It comprises a square sanctuary with an antechamber and a large pillared hall. The outer walls are decorated with sculptured panels and perforated stone windows with geometric designs.
Pattadakal, like neighbouring Aihole and Badami, became an important centre of the Chalukya dynasty and is located on the Malaprabha river in north Karnataka. It is believed to be the site where the coronation ceremonies of the Early Chalukya kings took place, between the sixth and eighth centuries.
