Large Underground Temple

The Large Underground Temple is at the west of the Dannaik's Enclosure. It faces east and is much below the present ground level. The temple is much dilapidated. The large and wide two-tiered gopura on the east has no superstructure extant. The main sanctum has many axial mandapas. The easternmost of these is a pillared seven-aisled Maha-mandapa with a tall and tapering dipa or dhvaja. Sitambha protruding through its roof top.

To the north and south of the mandapa are the remnants of corridor with pillars of the heavy early cubical type as in the Ganigitti temple and elsewhere. The floors of the Maha-mandapa, the other axial mandapas as well as the main sanctum, are under water. The Maha-mandapa leads to the three-aisled Ardhamandapa, the large cubical pillars of which are also of an early type, with cubical base, octagonal shafts, a thin pointed kumbha, large idal and palagai and beveled cross-corbels. Beyond the Ardha-mandapa is a covered prakaara enclosing the Garbhagriha and Antarala. The prakara pillars are also of the early type.

The Amman sanctum, to the north-west of the god's shrine, is a plain and dilapidated structure. The Kalyana-mandapa at the south-west corner of the temple is an ornate one in the typical Vijayanagara style. The mandapa has a large broken loose slab containing an inscription which records a grant to the temple of Prasanna Virupaksha by Krishnadeva Raya on the occasion of his coronation.1 It may be inferred from the inscription that the deity of the tem-ple was originally named Prasanna Virupaksha. On grounds of style, the main parts of this temple with its many early features may be assigned to the fourteenth century.