Lakkundi is the phonetically shortened form of the historic name
Lokkigundi, a name found in inscriptions in the village and others found in southern Karnataka and Maharashtra. The earliest surviving inscription was discovered by British archaeologists on a stone slab near Kanner Bhanvi—a stepwell in Lakkundi. The inscribed stone slab was being used by local
dhobis (washermen) to wash clothes at the stepwell. Many more inscriptions on stone and copper plates mentioning Lokkugundi have been discovered far from Lakkundi. However, in this part of ancient and medieval Karnataka, Lokkugundi is among the most mentioned cities. By 1884, some 35 Hindu and Jain inscriptions dated to between the 9th and 13th centuries CE had been found that mention Lokkugundi. Though Lakkundi was an established town in the second half of the 1st millennium, its growth and wealth came after 973 CE when Taila II, a Chalukya of Vatapi descendant and chieftain appointed in 965 CE, organized a successful revolt against Karkka II of the Rashtrakuta dynasty. In regional texts, the reign that followed is called
Cālukya (Later Chalukyas, Kalyani Chalukyas, or Chalukyas of Kalyana) to distinguish them from the
Calukya (Early Chalukyas). Lakkundi flowered and grew with the Shaiva-tradition Hindu monarch Satyasraya Irivabedanga—the successor and son of Taila II who came to power in 997 or 998 CE. This is attested by both Jain and Hindu inscriptions of the early 11th century, particularly of a woman named Attimabbe who obtained permission from Satyasraya to build her Jaina temple; the result is the oldest surviving Brahma Jinalaya temple in Lakkundi. Lakkundi grew to be a major city, prosperous and one with a mint. Lakkundi and several historic towns to its north—such as Rona, Sudi, Kradugu (now known as Gadag), Hooli and others—attracted a burst of religious, cultural, and literary flowering from the 11th to 13th centuries, with ever more sophisticated temple architecture, Vidyadana (charity-supported schools), and public works such as stepwells. These are largely in the context of Shaivism and Jainism, though a few major temples of Vaishnavism here are also from this period. Smaller Lakkundi monuments can be traced to the
Kalachuris, the short rule here of the
Seunas, and the longer rule of the
Hoysalas. In 1192 CE, after many of the remarkable temples of Lakkundi were already standing, a Sanskrit inscription of the Hoysala king Ballala II re-affirms the continued importance of Lakkundi and it becoming his capital. After the 13th century, there is an abrupt end to all evidence of new public works, temples, inscriptions, and other indirect signs of economic prosperity in Lakkundi.
Temples Lakkundi has about 50 temples and temple ruins of different sizes and sophistication, all dated to pre-14th century. They are of Shaivism, Jainism, and Vaishnavism, though most temples include diverse iconography such as Surya and Vedic deities such as Brahma. For example, the oldest Jaina temple—Brahma Jinalaya—includes Hindu statues and artworks such as that of the four-headed Brahma, Saraswati, and Lakshmi, along with Mahavira, Parsvanatha, and other Tirthankaras. The major surviving temples in Lakkundi include:, some functioning as water tanks for the temples. These are artistically built with small canopied niches enshrining
lingas. The Chateer Bavi, Kanne Bavi, and Musukina Bavi are architecturally significant and popular for their artwork and carvings.
Inscriptions Over two dozen Kannada and Sanskrit inscriptions from different Hindu dynasties have been found at Lakkundi. These describe gifts and donations, the names of donors and the social classes they came from, the ritual and cultural aspects of their times, and the socio-political context of medieval Karnataka. Some of these are important for establishing the history of Jain heritage in Karnataka during the rule of these dynasties. Key inscriptions include: • The inscriptions of the
Kalyani Chalukya king Satyasraya Irivabedanga (reigned 997–1008 CE), which narrate in the
Ajithanatha Purana the details of the construction of the Brahma Jinalaya by Attimabbe and the associated donations. • An inscription of the
Kalachuri king Sovideva (1173 CE), which records the donation of gold to a
Basadi by Gunanidi Keshava. • Important inscriptions of the Kalyani Chalukya king Somashevara IV (1185 CE), which record a donation for conducting
Ashtavidharchana. Another 12th-century inscription mentions the donation of land to Tribhuvana Tilaka Shantinatha. Another inscription mentions the existence of the Jain saint Mulasangha Devanga. ==Tourism==