Mahanavami Mantapas
Mahanavami Mantapas

To the east of the Bharateshwara image stand two mantapas, side by side, which are called the Mahanavami mantapas. The four pillars of each mantapa are cylindrical in shape and are of granite. The inscribed pillars set up in the middle of these mantapas are beautifully executed with elegant towers at their tops. They are square in section, inscribed on all the four faces and are of pot-stone. The inscription on one of the pillars is an epitaph of a Jain teacher named Nayakirti, who died in 1176 A.D., set up by the minister Nagadeva, his disciple. All the 3 inscriptions found within these mantapas are Sallekhana memorials. These are a classic example of Hoysala style of architecture.