Temples of Karnataka: An Epigraphical Study

Author: Varija R Bolar 
Publisher: Readworthy Publications (P) Ltd
(Pp 298, ISBN 978-93-5018-010-5, Rs 2,999)

Karnataka adorns many Hindu temples, many of which have not been thoroughly surveyed and studied. These temples were constructed with different motivations – first out of devotion and fear and then for economic affluence and technical competence. The book helps to understand their antiquity of temples of different sects but also understand their chronology. The book aspires to be an exhaustive study on comprehensive scale, right from 3rd century BC to 1050 AD. The book is chronologically based on the inscriptions found by her in 19 districts of Karnataka as existed from the year 1956 to 1997.

Readers would also understand the influence of different sects of Hinduism like Saiva, Vaisnava, Sakti, Surya, Syncretistic cults and village deities. The role of the patrons of the society who encouraged patronage towards construction, consecration and maintenance of the temples has been examined as well. With more than twenty coloured pictures of the various temples, this scholarly work would be appreciated by scholars all over the world.

The author Varija R Bolar is the associate professor in the Department of History and Archaeology, Karnatak University, Dharwad. When she went for research for the temples, she did not find even the remains of the temples. Temples just remained in inscriptions and not in real forms. Hence, it is a historical book which might serve as a great reference material.
–Vasu V