Tarakeshwara Temple, Hangal

The Tarakeshwara or Tarakeshvara Temple is a Hindu temple complex dedicated to Shiva as Tarakeswara located in Hangal, Karnataka, in India. It also houses a temple to Shiva's vahana, Nandi, and his son Ganesha. The complex is a listed monument of the Archaeological Survey of India. It also has three memorial stones which are sculpted with religious and military scenes and inscribed with text in the Kannada language. Its octagonal hall has a 6 m diameter lotus carving as its ceiling.

History
The Chalukyas of Kalyana reigned in the Deccan from the 10th to the 12th century. They built Hindu temples in Ittagi, Gadag and Lakkundi as well as in Hangal. The Tarakeshwara Temple was also built by them c. AD 1050 or the mid-12th century.

The Tarakeshwara temple is a listed monument of the Archaeological Survey of India.

Architecture
The temple is built with grey-green chloritic schist in the Hoysala style. More specifically, it is said to be one of the best edifices erected in the Kalyana Chalukyan style influenced by Hoysala architecture.

Opposite the idol, there is an octagonal structure known as the "lotus of Hangal". The elaborately-carved structure is 9 m in diameter. A huge stone, 6 m in diameter, forms the ceiling of this structure. The stone, cut into the shape of a lotus, is supported by eight pillars. Next to each of the eight pillars, there are sculpted stone pillars which mark the Guardians of the Directions (ashtadikpalaka).

The temple complex has three memorial stones sculpted with religious and military scenes, located in front of the halls. It also has a 12th-century hero stone which shows contemporary battle weapons.