Lakkundi

India

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June 30, 2026

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Lakkundi is a town in India known for its significant contributions to Karnatic temple architecture, particularly during the 11th and 12th centuries. It served as a transition point in the development of this architectural style, which is closely allied with the South Indian style.12

The temples in this region, especially those from the Hoysala dynasty, are characterized by multiple shrines and an abundance of intricate sculpture and ornamentation. The local availability of chloritic schist, a stone that is soft when quarried but hardens with exposure, facilitated the creation of deeply cut, ornate designs. A large Jaina temple at Lakkundi, dating from around 1050–1100, is notable for being one of the first built with this schist material and shows the evolving style with superstructures that emphasize vertical movement.21

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South Asian arts
Medieval temple architecture: South Indian style of Karnataka
…a large Jaina temple at Lakkundi (c. 1050–1100) clearly demonstrate the transition. The superstructures, though basically of the South Indian type, have offsets and recesses that tend to emphasize a vertical, upward movement. The Lakkundi temple is also the first to be built of chloritic schist, which is the favoured…
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…a large Jaina temple at Lakkundi (c. 1050–1100) clearly demonstrate the transition. The superstructures, though basically of the South Indian type, have offsets and recesses that tend to emphasize a vertical, upward movement. The Lakkundi temple is also the first to be built of chloritic schist, which is the favoured…
Read More