Akkana Basadi

Akkana Basadi, the 'elder sister's temple', is a Jain temple at Shravanabelagola built in 1181 under the Hoysala king Veera Ballala II. It was raised by Achiyakka, or Achala Devi, a devout Jain woman married to Chandramouli, a Brahmin minister at the Hoysala court. It belongs to the Shravanabelagola group of monuments and has national-importance status under the ASI.

The soapstone temple faces east inside an enclosing wall entered from the south. As is usual for a basadi, the outer walls are plain. A three-tiered tower, topped by a dome about 2 metres across, carries one notable relief of a saint between attendants. Inside, a 5-foot image of Parshvanatha, the 23rd tirthankara, stands under a seven-hooded serpent, with figures of Dharanendra and Padmavati in the vestibule. Four polished, bell-shaped lathe-turned pillars divide the hall ceiling into nine richly carved bays.