Chandramouleshwara Temple

The Chandramouleshwara Temple is an 11th-century Shiva temple from the time of the Western Chalukyas, standing near Unkal Lake in the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad. It is built of soapstone, a stone soft enough to take very fine carving, and it remains in worship with regular rituals.

Its most unusual feature is a pair of sanctums, each holding a Shiva linga; local belief says they stand for two forms of Shiva, Chandramouleshwara and Mallikarjuna. Carvings of gods and mythological scenes cover the walls and pillars, and a broad pillared mandapa leads to a pavilion with a Nandi. A popular story speaks of a tunnel to Unkal Lake where priests once hid the temple treasures in wartime, though no trace has been found. Visitors remove footwear before entering the inner temple.