Nageshvara-Chennakeshava Temple complex, Mosale

It is located in the village of Mosale, about south of Hassan city, in Hassan district of Karnataka state, India. The two temples are in the same complex, in an idyllic rural setting, and they form a "perfect twin". It is unclear when the temple was built, as the foundation stone is missing and other inscriptions do not provide any clues. The style suggests this pair is a pre-1250 CE temple. == Architecture ==

By plan, the temples are simple single-shrined structures with all the standard features of Hoysala architecture; a porch entrance into a square closed mantapa or navaranga (hall with no windows and a thick wall) leading to the sanctum, and a superstructure (shikhara) over the main shrine fitting the description of a ekakuta (single shrine with top). The sanctum (garbhagriha) is connected to the hall by a vestibule called sukhanasi. The closed hall, whose inner and outer walls are decorated, has four central lathe turned pillars that support a bay ceiling. The temples are constructed next to each other. The Nageshvara temple (lit, "Lord of snakes"), dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva is in the south. The Chennakeshava temple (lit, "beautiful Vishnu"), dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, is to the north. The superstructure (tower or shikhara) over each shrine is three tiered (tritala arpita) and vesara in style. It is intact, finely sculptured, and has a decorative low extension which is actually the tower over the vestibule (that connects the cella (sanctum) and the hall). The extension tower looks like the "nose" of the main superstructure and is also called sukhanasi. The sukanasi structure holds the Hoysala crest that depicts a royal warrior stabbing a lion. All these features are intact in both temples. The Channakeshava temple has sculptures of Garuda (the eagle), Keshava (a form of Vishnu), Janardana, Venugopala, Madhava (a form of Krishna), and Bhudevi. Below these images, the base of the wall comprises five different horizontal moldings, one of which is a row of blocks. ==Gallery==

File:Profile of panel relief sculpture in Chennakeshava temple at Mosale.JPG|Outer wall decoration File:Nageshvara (near) and Chennakeshava (far) temples at Mosale.JPG|The twin temples of Mosale File:Profile (frontal) of the Nageshvara (left) and Chennakeshava (right) temples at Mosale.JPG|Frontal view of twin temples, Nageshvara (far), Chennakeshava (near) at Mosale File:A shrine inside the mantapa (hall) in the Chennakeshava temple at Mosale.JPG|A decorative shrine in the mantapa wall of Chennakeshava temple at Mosale File:Nageshswara Temple , Mosale.jpg|Nageshvara Temple - Mosale File:Chenna Kesava Temple , Mosale from the North Side View.jpg File:Vesara tower of Chennakeshava temple at Mosale.JPG|Vesara tower of the Chennakeshava temple, Mosale File:Wall panel relief and sculpture in Chennakeshava temple at Mosale.JPG|Wall panel relief sculpture and ornamentation in Chennakeshava temple at Mosale File:Yali sculpture in Chennakeshava temple at Mosale.JPG|Yali sculpture on wall of Chennakeshava temple at Mosale File:Mantapa (hall) in Nageshvara temple at Mosale.JPG|Closed mantapa with lathe turned pillars facing sanctum in Nageshvara temple at Mosale File:Kannada inscription (1577 AD) at Nageshvara and Chennakeshava temples in Mosale.jpg|Old Kannada inscription (1577 CE) of Belur Chief Venkatadri Nayaka at the twin temple complex at Mosale File:North Side Corner View of Nageshswara & Chenna Kesava Temple- Mosale.jpg|North Side corner View of the twin temples at Mosale File:Nageshswara & Chenna Kesava Temple - Mosale.jpg|Frontal view of the Nageshvara-Chennakeshava - twin Temples of Mosale == Notes ==