Kirtimukhas are oft recurring motifs in the South Indian temples. These have been widely used in the Hoysala temples and others. Kirtimukhas are the `head of glory.` These sculptural elements have been profusely carved on the temple walls. The earliest examples of kirtimukhas are to be found in the ruins at Mohangiri in the Kalahandi and Banei in Sundergarh districts. Apart from the outer walls the kirtimukhas are also found on the pillars as well.

The kirtimukhas found in Mohangiri, Banei and Sarsara are the predecessors of the motifs in temple art. An exceptional kirtimukha is found on the Kosalesvara temple at Vaidyanath, Sonepur district. Here the kirtimukha has been sculpted on a brick and from its mouth a bunch of flowers and leaves flow out. There are several such kirtimukhas on the Laksmanesvara temple at Sirpur in Chhattisgarh. This temple, too, has been built with bricks. Another set of unique kirtimukhas are found on the pillars of the Kosalesvara temple. Here the artisans have shown the kirtimukhas holding a branch of three pearl strings in their mouth and a bell in a chain hanging in between the strings.

At the Kosalesvara temple at Patnagarh the kirtimurkahs appear on the pillars. There are other temples too where one would come across these monstrous faces with bulging eyes. In the sculpture of Kedareswara Temple in Balligavi and the sculpture of Siddhesvara temple in Haveri the kirtimukahs are quite prominent. Amriteshwara temple in Amruthapura and Mahadeva temple in Itagi are also known for their kirtimukhas. Besides the pillars the kirtimikhas have also been carved out on the lintels of the garbhagriha of certain Indian temples.

Till 14th century the kirtimukhas were used as sculptural decorations but after that these disappeared and were occasionally seen on the top of a post or pillar of low height in front of the temples. A temple with such kind of kirtimukhas is the Suvarnameru temple at Sonepur. Today, however, the kirtimukhas have once again aroused the interest of the people. The demonic faces have been intricately done and the expressions on their faces are quite discernible.