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Aihole has an ancient temple, among the earliest of the Chalukya period, named:
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Answer: Option D — Lad Khan Temple
Detailed Solution
The Lad Khan Temple at Aihole, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, is one of the oldest temples at Aihole.
About the Lad Khan Temple:
- It was built by the early Chalukyas, probably in the 5th-7th centuries CE (dates suggested by scholars range from about 450 CE to the late 7th century).
- It is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
- It gets its name from a Muslim prince or general, "Lad Khan", who is said to have used it as a residence in the 19th century (or earlier).
It is built in the style of the "panchayat halls" (assembly halls) of villages, and does not have a tall tower over its sanctum. Instead, it has a flat, sloping roof, with a small square shrine (a cubical structure) placed on top.
It has a large square hall supported by pillars, arranged in two concentric squares, and a porch at the front.
Its windows have perforated stone screens (jalis) with decorative patterns.
The walls and pillars have carvings of the river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna, and of couples (mithunas).
It shows the early experimental phase of Hindu temple architecture.
About Aihole:
- It is called the "cradle of Indian temple architecture" (or the "cradle of Indian rock architecture"), because more than 120 temples of different styles, from the 5th to the 12th centuries, were built here.
- It was an early capital of the Chalukyas of Badami.
Other famous temples of Aihole:
- Durga Temple: famous for its apsidal (semicircular) plan, like a Buddhist chaitya hall; it was not dedicated to Durga, but its name comes from "durg" (fort).
- Hucchimalli Gudi: one of the earliest temples with an "ardhamandapa" (entrance porch).
- Ravanaphadi cave temple: a rock-cut cave dedicated to Shiva.
Other temple names in the options:
- Shore Temple: at Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), built by the Pallavas.
- Lingaraja Temple: at Bhubaneswar (Odisha).
- Kailasa Temple: at Ellora (Maharashtra), a monolithic rock-cut temple built by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I in the 8th century.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Shore Temple is at Mahabalipuram.
- ✗The Lingaraja Temple is at Bhubaneswar.
- ✗The Kailasa Temple is at Ellora.
Quick tip
Remember: Lad Khan Temple = Aihole, Karnataka (early Chalukya; Shiva; flat roof like a village assembly hall; named after a later resident); Durga Temple, Aihole = apsidal plan; Aihole = "cradle of Indian temple architecture".
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This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.