The Sangameshwara Temple, also known as the Vijayeshvara Temple, is a large, Dravidian style east facing temple located on the south side of the Chandrashekhara temple in Pattadakal, Karnataka, India. It is considered the oldest temple in the Pattadakal Group of Monuments, a complex of 7th and 8th century CE Hindu and Jain temples that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Inscriptions at the temple date it to between 720 and 733 CE, attributing its commission to the Chalukyan ruler Vijayaditya. However, construction seems to have never been fully completed, possibly due to the king's death in 734 CE. Despite this, the Sangameshwara Temple is an architectural marvel, showcasing an early experiment with a two-tier Dravidian sikhara (tower) that would become a signature feature of later South Indian temples.
The temple has a square plan, with a sanctum (shrine), an inner passage, and a navaranga (hall). The sanctum is topped by the aforementioned Dravidian vimana (tower), and the outer walls are decorated with sculptures of various Hindu deities, including Ugranarasimha (a fierce form of Vishnu) and Nataraja (Shiva as the cosmic dancer).
The Sangameshwara Temple is located just 300 meters from the Pattadakal Bus Stand. It is open daily from dawn to dusk, with the ideal time to visit being between October and March, during the cooler months.