ANNIGERI

ANNIGERI

Annigeri (aNNigEri) (ಅಣ್ಣಿಗೇರಿ) is a historically renowned town in Navalgunda talluk of Dharwad district. It is located at a distance of about 35 kilometers from Hubli city. Mythology tells us, that Annigeri was known earlier as 'annagiri' and 'annataTAka'. However, historically Annigeri was an important town during the regime of the Western Chalukyas. One finds references to Annigeri in inscriptions right from the period of Pulikeshi-2 (610-642 A.D.) till Mahammed Adil Shah (1527-56 A.D.) the Adilshahi king of Bijapur. About thirty inscriptions are found in Annigeri giving important information about its history and culture. This was the Capital town of the region known as beLvola-300. Pampa, one of the major poets of Kannada was born in Annigeri because it was the native place of his mother. Annigeri was ruled by the Kalyani cAlukyas, kaLacuris, hoysalas and yAdavas at different points of time. It became the last Capital of Someshvara when he was made to flee from Kalyani by Kalachuri Bijjala. Two well known military commanders named bammidEva and dhannugi who served under Someshvara of Chalukya dynasty and Sovideva of Kalachuri dynasty respectively were based in this place. It was a part of the small kingdom of nippANi before it came under the British rule in 1839.

Annigeri was one among the culturally important places in the Chalukya kingdom. It was a centre of Vedic pedagogy, what with the presence of five ‘brahmapuri’s.

Amriteshvara temple, built in black granite is one of the early and well known examples of Kalyani Chalukya style of architecture. Amriteshvara linga is the presiding deity of this temple. It has a sanctum, a sukanAsi, a mahAmanTapa and a mukha manTapa. All these mantapas are held aloft by 76 pillars of different shapes and sizes. Many walls and pillars are decoarated with carvings of religious and secular variety. Many of them, depict episodes related to Shiva. Scholars have found quite a few similarities between this temple and the Mahadeva temple at iTagi as well as the Basappa temple at DambaLa. Some of them have opined that the temple at iTagi is a more refined model of this temple. .

In addition to Amriteshvara temple Annigeri contains the temples of banashankari, gAjina basappa and hirE hanumAn. A Jain basadi dedicated to pArshvanAtha is another important edifice in Annigeri. Seven mosques and a couple of Veerashaiva mutts built much later have added to the catholic nature of this town.