Kopeshwar Temple, Khidrapur

The Kopeshwar Temple at Khidrapur, on the banks of the Krishna river, is a 12th-century architectural marvel built by the Western Chalukyas. Its famed Swargamandapa — a circular hall with an open-sky ceiling — is architecturally unique in all of India, symbolising the cosmic vault of heaven.

The temple is a rare example of joint Shaiva-Vaishnava worship: Lord Shiva occupies the main sanctum while images of Vishnu adorn the exterior walls. The intricate lattice-work carvings on its stone screens are extraordinarily fine.