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APPENDIX I
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village called Pāņdarangapalli situated on the bank of the Ane river, which is most probably identical with the Yennā, or the Veņā, which rises on the Mahābaleśvara plateau and falls into a valley to the east of the Mahābaleśvara hill in the Sātārā District. As regards the shrine of Dakşiņa-Siva mentioned in the records of Abhimanyu, there are several Saiva temples on the summit of hills in the Sātārā District, the best known being that of Mahābaleśvara not far from the source of the Krşņā. Mānapura was no doubt founded by Mănāňka, the first king of the family, who is mentioned in both the inscriptions; and Abhimanyu and Avidheya were apparently ruling over the territory corresponding to the Sātārā District of Bombay Province. The inscriptions in question have been assigned to the fifth century A. 1). on paleographic grounds; and genealogical considerations have led to Mānānka being placed in the last quarter of the fourth century and Abhimanyu towards the end of the fifth century A. D. The rulers of Mānapura, or the Rāştrakūtas of Mānapura, as they have been called, were thus contemporaries of the Vakātakas, and appear to have been, like them, worshippers of Siva. As for the cult of Vişnu, it no doubt existed in the Vākātaka age, but seems to have occupied a secondary place; and similar conditions appear to be reflected in the subsequent history of the Deccan.
Saivism played a decisive rôle in the temple architecture of the Deccan and the adjoining countries. The early Calukyas were mostly followers of the Vaişņava cult. The Vaisnava cave at Badami in the Bijapur district was excavated in 578 A. D. under Kirtivarman I; while his brother Mangaliśa who succeeded him upon the throne is described as a parama-bhāgavata. There is also no doubt that some of the ancient temples at Aihole, now a village, about twelve miles due east of Badami, were dedicated to Vişnu. But, towards the beginning of the eighth century a. D., the Cālukyas show a decided leaning to Saivism, and seem to have become worshippers of Siva. It is about this time that Pattadakal, now a small village, about ten miles east of Badami, emerges as an important religious centre with Saivism playing a dominant rôle. Three Saiva temples of considerable size were built here, the oldest being the massive temple of Vijayeśvara, now called that of Sangameśvara built by Vijayāditya (696-733 A. D.). Of the other two, the temple of Virūpākṣa (Lokeśvara ) is the largest and the most important of the old temples in the Kanarese districts. It was built by Lokamahādevi, the queen consort of Vikramāditya II (733-746 A.D.), in commemoration of his having thrice conquered Kāñci or Conjeveram. Including the eastern and western gateways, the building measures 250 feet over all, of which the main building occupies a length of 120 feet. Within the great hall are eighteen heavy square pillars, decorated with sculptures representing scenes from the Rāmāyana and the Mahābhārata. Close to the temple of Virūpākṣa is that of Mallikārjuna, which has been identified with the temple of Trailokyeśvara
1 Mirashi: The Rästrakūtas of Mānapura in ABORI, Vol. XXV, p. 36. 2 For details gee Cousen's: Chalukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts.
Archaeological Survey of India, Vol. XLII, 1926. 3 See below (section on Vaişpavism).
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