The Visit to this Shri Hoysaleshwara Temple at Halebidu, in Karnataka, was a part of “Karnataka State, Hoysala Period Shiva and temple’s visit”- between 28th - 30th July 2023, organised by தொண்டை மண்டல வரலாற்று ஆய்வு சங்கம் "திருக்கச்சி" FB Group. As per the Karnataka gazetteer, The village of Hale-bidu, old capital, marks the site of the ancient city of Dorasamudra, Dvarasamudra or Dvaravatipura, the wealthy capital of the Hoysala kings, founded early in the 11th century. The capital of Belur was shifted to Halebidu, which served nearly 300 years. Out of 1500 and odd temples built by the Hoysala dynasty, they were destroyed during Mohammadian’s invasion. About 500 temples were restored to their old glory and this one of the temples restored. Included in the tentative list of world Heritage sites of UNESCO.
Moolavar : Shri Hoysaleshwara
Moolavar : Shri Shantaleswara
Some of the salient features of this temple are….
Both temples are facing east on the banks of a big eri called Dorasamudra, now called as Dwarasamudra. Shri Shantaleswarar temple is in the right side ie north side of Shri Hoysaleswarar Temple
Shri Shantaleswarar temple… Dwarapalas are at the entrance of the temple. Rishabam is in front of sanctum sanctorum. In praharam, Grauda sthambam / deepa sthambam
ARCHITECTURE
The total temple was built with chloritic schist, more commonly known as soapstone. This temple complex is a twin-temple, or dvikuta vimana, in Dravida Karnata style, ie the combination North Indian and Dravidian style temple architecture. The Super structure above the prastaram of both temples are missing. These Hoysaleswara and Shantaleswara temples are the architectural marvel built by the Hoysala Dynasty. More sculpturally and artistically sophisticated than any other Hoysala temple. The Hoysaleshwara temple is most well-known for the more than 240 wall sculptures that run all along the outer wall. The sculptures depicts the Shaiva deities, images of day to day life of that region, dancers, Ladies with different postures wearing ornaments. The pillars are lathe turned pillars with beautiful capital bracket sculptures.
Bands of the platform and Sanctum sanctorum wall are intricately carved bas-reliefs run along the exterior wall expressing aspirational spiritual qualities, symbolism, and mythology.
The two temples are of the same size, and their sanctums are facing east. The sanctum of the "Hoysaleswara" is called in the name of the king Vishnuvardhana and the other for "Shantaleswara", is called in the name of the queen, Shantala Devi. Both have Shiva Lingas in the Sanctum sanctorums. The Rishabams are in front of the temples in small shrines.
Dwarapalakas
Lakshmi Narayana Sculpture…… at Hoysaleshwara Temple, Halebidu, Karnataka. Southern wall of Hoysaleshwara Temple has Lakshmi Narayana Sculpture depicting canopies over their heads. The right hands of Shri Narayana holds chakra (Rear) and padma (Front), while the left hands have Gada/Mace (Rear) and sankha (Front). Goddess Lakshmi is seated on the lap of Shri Narayana, holding a kalasha in left Hand. There are two female attendants. The one on the right hand holds padma and phala, and the one on the left is admiring the ear ring in the mirror ( Darpana Sundari ).
The most interesting part of the temple is the Garuda Sthamba, which is a rare pillar that depicts the history of the bodyguards that lived with the Kings in olden days. These bodyguards committed suicide on the death of their master and this pillar pays homage to a bodyguard named Kuruva Lakshma who killed himself after the death of his master. The event is narrated in detail on the pillar.
Some of the interesting sculptures panels, worth to watch are…..
- Umamahesvara, Nataraja, Dakshinamurti, Bhairava,
- Parvati, Durga, Mahishasuramardini, Kali and others
- Maha Vishnu, Krishna as Venogopala, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Trivikrama.
- Harihara ( the combination Shiva and Maha Vishnu )
- Vinayagar / Ganesha both in seated or standing.
- Murugan / Arumugar / Kartikeya, on peacock, under seven-hooded serpent.)
- Brahma & Saraswati, in seated or standing postures.
- Celestial deities, Indra, Surya and others.
- Others: Vishnu in his female avatar Mohini, Bairavar, Shiva with Mohini, Arjuna and others.
HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
As per the History display board installed at the temple….
The Hoysalesvara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva was constructed in 1121 CE by Ketamalla, a prominent merchant, in honour of the ruling King Vishnuvardhana at Dorasamudra (present day Halebidu). This is recorded in an inscription dated to 1121 CE, found near Kalleswara temple at Ghattadahalli. It also refers to this temple as 'Vishnuvardhana poysalesvara', which later became popular as Hoysalesvara.
The temple complex is situated on the west bank of the Dorasamudra lake and the ancient capital city of Hoysalas is named after it. The temple once had a prakara (compound wall) with an imposing mahadvara (gateway) with the royal emblem placed over it. At present, a portion of the mahadvara, immediately south of the Hoysalesvara shrine, is reconstructed upto the plinth level and mounted by a Ganesha idol and broken blocks depicting the Sala legend. A memorial pillar with a dedicatory inscription to Kuvara Lakshma who sacrificed his life following the death of his King Ballala II is on the south west corner of the main temple. The excavations to the east of the Hoysalesvara shrine have revealed portions of prakara and also the plinth of an unidentified group of temples. The Huchcheswara temple is located to the south east of the temple complex.
Vishnuvardhana shifted his Capital Belur to Dorasamuda and the same is now called as Halebeedu and the eri is called as Dwarasamudra. As per the Archaeological report 1930, there is NO direct evidence at the temple about who had built this Temple. Since no such record has yet been found, it may be surmised that the concerned inscription has been lost. But at Ghattadahallı, about three miles east of Halebid, near the Kallesvara temple lies a slab, about 7.5 feet high, which is inscribed with a record mentioning the construction of a temple for Vishnuvardhana Hoysalesvara and the grant of some lands for its support. The place of construction is mentioned to be definitely Dvarasamudra and the person who built it was Ketamalla, an officer of the king. Though the date on which the temple was constructed is not mentioned, the record states that the grant of lands was made in saka 1043 or 1121 CE. This definitely establishes that the Hoysalesvara temple was constructed in or just before the year mentioned.
A close study of the structural details of the temple shows that this original structure consisted of two temples each of which was planned very much like the Kesava temple at Belur, the dimensions also being nearly the same. Each sanctum sanctorum is of star / stellate -shaped, the back walls of the navaranga straight and meeting the side walls at right angles and the navaranga halls with the sukhanasis were indented square in shape Possibly the only doorways were those which guarded the sanctum sanctorums. The eastern half of the building above the basement and railings was supported by pillars, between which there were no screens. The whole temple was thus well illuminated by day light and the design was simple, yet beautiful.
But changes began to be made very soon after, the large brick Vimanas perhaps caused a heavy stress on the outer walls of the Sanctum Sanctorum. To counteract this side- thrust and to give a better protection to the inner niches of the garbhagriha buttresses had to be given. On the south, west and north of each Sanctum Sanctorum there stood originally, in all probability, small niches which were now superseded, large two-storeyed Vimana niches being put up in their places. These sometimes covered the original wall sculptures of the temple, though then basements were carved along with the corresponding friezes of the temple. It may be concluded that these niches were put up after the large wall images had been carved and before the friezes were completed. The projections which have also tower like tops have led Fergusson to think (see his wood-cut restoration of the temple ) that smaller towers stood over these portions of the roof This is unusual in Hoysala temples. The projection at the back of the corridor also appears to have been there before the large images were carved out.
There is more definite evidence that considerable changes were made in the temple a generation after it was built, since an unpublished inscription on the lintel of the southern doorway mentions that the sculptor Kalidasi made the lintel for Kedaioja, the master architect of Narasimha- I.
Another inscription on a basement cornice to the east of the Surya temple mentions that the Eastern door way, that is the south door way on the east, was made by Demoja. Since Narasimha came to the throne in 1141 CE, more than 20 years after the temple was constructed, it appears that the four doorways and the series of perforated screens were all put up in Narasimha's reign, probably very soon after his accession. A similar surmise would also probably apply to the corresponding parts of the Belur temple.
Since there is considerable difference in the design of these new door ways and the sukhanası doorways on the one side and the Sanctum Sanctorum doorways on the other, there is good reason to think that the sukhanası doorways, too, were added in the reign of Narasimha-I.
About this time or later appear to have been built the central tower like projection on the east, the Surya shrine and possibly the original bull / Rishaba mantapas. That these latter have undergone considerable change in subsequent times is proved by the fact that stray Hoysala viragals / Hero Stones and other sculptures have been used for their ceilings and on the platform of the north Rishaba /bull mantapa appear sculptured friezes which evidently belonged to some other temple.
The city was invaded by the Muhammadan ( Bhamini Sultans ) general Kafur in 1310 CE and plundered of immense wealth of the temples. In 1326 CE another Muhammadan army invaded and took away the remained wealth, destroyed the temples and city.
Ref:
- Display board erected at the temple.
- Epigraphica carnatica Volume VI
- https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5898/
- Annual Report of the Mysore archaeological Department for the year 1930.
HOW TO REACH
This temple Shri Hoysaleswara is about 17 KM from Belur, 33 KM from Hassan, 143 KM from Mysuru and 210 KM from Bangalore.
Nearest railway station is Hassan.
LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE
Lakshmi Narayana
Maha Vishnu as Bhuvaraha
Garuda Fights with Snake King
Maha Vishnu as Vamana
Krishna
Vinayagar / Ganesha
Karthikeyan as Arumugar
Dancing Saraswati
Gangalar
Gajasamharamurti
Brahma- Shiva - Maha Vishnu
Adhistanam - miniature sculptures
Adhistanam - miniature sculptures
Gajasamharamurti
A mysterious image wearing like western dress - about 1000 years before... Who could be.,..?
The author at the entrance
stray Hoysala viragals / Hero Stones and other sculptures have been used for their ceilings and on the platform of the north Rishaba /bull mantapa appear sculptured friezes which evidently belonged to some other temple.( The details will be written as a separate post ).
A Jain Tirthankara at the Museum
--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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