The construction of the temple spans the rule of two Kannada dynasties: the Rashtrakuta Dynasty during the mid-10th century, and the Western Chalukya Empire, during the reign of founding King Tailapa II (also called Ahava Malla) around 987 AD.

[1][2] Art historian Adam Hardy classifies the architectural style of the temple as "Late Rashtrakuta vimana (shrine and tower) with erotic carvings, and a closed mantapa (hall), fronted by a Later Chalukya non-mainstream open mantapa, the building material for which is soapstone".

[2] The temple, whose premises have yielded thirty-six old Kannada inscriptions (danashasana, lit, describing donations) from the 10th and 11th centuries, is protected as a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India.

[1][3] The temple plan comprises a main shrine for the Hindu god Shiva with a sanctum (cella or garbhagriha) facing east, a vestibule (antechamber or antarala), a main closed hall (mahamantapa) with an entrance in the south and east.

Also provided are a shrine for the Sun god Surya with a hall (mukhamandapa) facing the east-west orientation, and a small shrine for the deity Narasimha (a form of the Hindu god Vishnu) in the north of the gathering hall.