The Temple of Nagareshvara is a Western Chalaukya construction dating from the 12th century. Is situated in the Haveri district of Karnataka, Bankapura.When Bankapura sank into the armies of Firoz Shah Bahamani in 1406 CE and then again the Bijapur Sultan Adil Shah was occupied by the Temple suffered much damage.
The temple is built with a soap stone and consists of a small shrine (vimana) and a closed hall (mantapa) which link the big hall.An open Nandimantapa at the end of the wide hall faces the sanctum.Western Chalukya architects provided the shrine and the halls with well rendered exterior wall surfaces.The highlight of the wide hall is the bell-shaped, dark grey stone pillars,the sparkling pillars with reflected light.
Horizontal rings of mouldings are the principal decoration on these pillars.The ceiling between the pillars in the wide hall is highly decorative with four corners of styles like rosettes with imaginary animals.The central domed ceiling in the wide hall that rises in concentrated ornamental circles must be listed.
the Hindu god, the temple Shiva has been constructed from two short inscriptions in a temple, starting with the greeting of 'Shambu'.The sanctum is now empty but at one time it would have housed a linga, the god Shiva 's universal image.Numerous Hindu gods, such as Shiva, Vishnu, Ganapati, Brahma and Kali, are in relief. There are numerous sculptures.The temple is covered by the Archaeological Survey of India as a monument of national significance.