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| Halebidu is located in Hassan District, Karnataka, India. Halebidu (which was previously called Dorasamudra or Dwarasamudra) was the regal capital of the Hoysala Empire in the 12th century. The ornate Hoysaleswara and Kedareswara temples are the best examples of Hoysala architecture. Halebidu is just 16 kms away from another historical place Belur. It is well connected by road and rail to Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore. There are regular buses to Hassan. The distance is 149 kms from Mysore and 31 kms from Hassan. History Halebidu was the 12th century capital of the Hoysalas. The Hoysaleswara temple was built during this time by Ketamalla and attributed to Vishnuvardhana, the Hoysala ruler. It enshrines Hoysaleswara and Shantaleswara, named after the temple builder Vishnuvardhana Hoysala and his wife, Queen Shantala. Then it was ransacked by the armies of Malik Kafur in the early 14th century, after which it fell into a state of disrepair and neglect. Temple Complex The temple complex comprises two Hindu temples, the Hoysaleshawara and Kedareshwara temples and two Jain basadis. In front of these temples there is a big lake. The town gets its name from the lake, Dhwara samudhra which means entrance from the ocean. The two Nandi Bull statues which are on the side of the Hoysaleshwara temple are monolithic. soap stone or Chloritic Schist was used for the construction of these temples. However a number of sculptures in the temple have been destroyed by invaders. Halebid means a ruined city. There is an archaeological museum in the temple complex. The Hoysaleswara temple, dating back to 1121 C.E., is rich in sculptural details. The walls of the temple are covered with an endless variety of depictions from Hindu mythology, animals, birds and Shilabalikas or dancing figures. Yet no two sculptures of the temple are the same. This magnificent temple guarded by a Nandi Bull was never completed, despite 86 years of labour going into it. The Jain basadis nearby are equally rich in sculptural detail. Belur and Halebid are 222 and 216 kms from Bangalore, respectively. This temple is now being proposed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
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