Magnificent 1000 year old temples of South India
Dating back from 980 CE – 1117 CE, let’s explore the ancient temples of the Hoysala dynasty. The awe-inspiring temple trail of Belur, Halebidu and Shravanabelagola is Located in Hassan district in the State of Karnataka. It should be noted this is also considered the “Golden Triangle” of South India.
The most noteworthy feature of the magnificent temples at Belur and Halebidu is that they showcase the distinct Hoysala architecture in all its glory; perfectly preserved for over a thousand years.
Ideal Trip Duration: Full Day day-trip from Bangalore or Mysore
Nearest City: Mysore (156 km), Bangalore (220 km)
Best Time to Visit: October to February
Peak Season: April to May & September to January
Country: India | State: Karnataka | District: Hassan
Weather: April is the hottest month – Max at 34°C ( 93°F) and Min at 19°C (66°F), December is the Coolest month – Max at 27°C ( 80°F) and Min at 14°C (57°F)
GETTING THERE
BY AIR: The nearest airport is at Bangalore.
BY RAIL: The Hassan railway station is around 2 km East of the town, it connects both Bangalore and Mysore by regular trains. You will need a car or taxi to get to your final destinations.
BY ROAD: From Bangalore 3 h 54 min (221.5 km) via NH75 and from Mysore 3 h 24 min (156.1 km) via SH57
BELUR
Total Duration: 2 – 3 hours
I got an early start from Bangalore on a cool December morning at 5:30 AM in order to avoid the crazy chockfull traffic of the inner city. As a result, my decision found me cruising along NH75 with minimal traffic.
At first light a brilliant scenery unfolded as the sun broke through the morning haze revealing a surreal countryside shrouded in morning mist.
Along the way on NH75 I found plenty of restaurants predominantly vegetarian which made for an ideal pitstop for a light south Indian breakfast.
Fairly uneventful and smooth, the four hour drive from Bangalore brought me to my first destination, the beautiful quaint little town of Belur set on the river banks of Yagachi. This was the capital of the Hoysala dynasty between the 11th and 13th centuries.
Hoysalas, the great patrons of architecture built about 1521 temples over a period of 200 years. However, only around 452 of these magnificent shrines have survived.
These spectacular structures and monuments at Belur and Halebidu showcase the distinct Hoysala architecture in all its glory.
“Sala” was the founder of the Hoysala dynasty in 950 CE. Legend has it at an early age he single-handedly fought and killed a rampaging tiger to protect his guru. The name Hoysala derives from “Hoy” which literally means to “Strike” and “Sala” the founder. As such, the royal emblem of the dynasty reflects this brave act.
Built on a platform in a typical star shaped ground plan, the Hoysala temples are compact, squat structures and more human in scale in contrast to other soaring shrines of South India.
The temples of Belur are all situated inside a single complex making it a single stop for exploring the site in its entirety.
Indian culture forbids footwear inside the temple complex and at all religious sites, hence it is important to observe and respect local traditions and culture. Upon arrival leave your shoes outside and claim a receipt for their retrieval when you depart. I suggest wearing socks so you can meander through the complex without getting your feet dirty.
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The Belur temples are inside a complex enclosed by high walls, my recommendation upon arrival is not to rush straight to the main Chenna Keshava Temple. I suggest first walking the entire perimeter of the complex and exploring the many smaller shrines, colonnades and other structures. Especially valuable are the views of the main temple from various vantage points.
Kappe (Frog) Chennigaraya Temple, this small shrine resembling the main temple lies directly to the South of the main sanctum. More significantly the idol inside this sanctum has an interesting legend.
Legend of the Frog Temple
Jakanachari a renowned sculptor who was in-charge of sculpting this shrine left his village to build temples just before the birth of this son Dankanachari.
His son grew up and eventually found his father in Belur sculpting the image of the presiding deity. Danakanachri told him that the stone he was sculpting was defective. Jakanachari was not aware the young man was his son and took offense at the young man’s insolence. He vowed he would cut his right hand if the stranger proved himself right. Likewise to test the stone the young man smeared sandalwood paste over the sculpture. After allowing the paste to dry, a small portion remained moist.
When Jakanachari tapped the wet spot with a chisel, some water and sand trickled out and above all a frog popped out.
Having been proved wrong Jakanachari cut his own hand before his son could stop him. Ever since the main image in the sanctum is known as Kappe (frog), consequently it was called the Frog Temple.
Chenna Keshava Temple
Most of all the main sanctum and the magnificent shrine of Chenna Keshava Temple is dedicated to Lord Vijayanarayan, one of the twenty four incarnations of Vishnu.
It is important to note the temple’s construction commemorated the victory of Hoysalas over the Cholas in the great battle of Talakkad.
The construction of the temple commenced in 1116 CE, according to historical records it took about 103 years to complete this profusely intricate sculpted masterpiece of Hoysala architecture.
The lowest friezes of the main temple features 650 carved caparisoned elephants in various moods, some charging, some playful and some just peacefully standing.
Especially relevant are the 38 beautifully carved freestanding bracket figures accenting the upper walls and the overhanging eaves around the outside of the temple and pillared hall. Voluptuous beauties known as Madanikas adorn these brackets in various dancing and ritual postures.
The inner sanctum enshrines an image of Chenna keshava, literally meaning the “Beautiful” Keshava in Kannada language. King Vishnuvardhana built the temple and installed the idol in the year corresponding to 1117 CE.
It is most noteworthy that Chenna Keshava Temple is the only functional Hoysala temple, and as of this day Pujas (prayers) are performed both in the morning and evening.
This tradition is being practiced for the last 887 years.
The temples at Belur are carved out of soapstone (steatite), this stone is extremely easy to chisel, but attains iron-like firmness when exposed to the elements. Additionally to maintain the shine of the temple the stone is treated with a chemical wash and then wax polished once every ten years.
Regarded as “one of the jewels” of South Indian architecture, today, the small town of Belur is basking in the warmth of its glorious past. Its temples have become rich repositories of ancient Hindu culture and a must visit site on every traveler’s temple itinerary.
HALEBIDU
Total Duration: 1 – 1.5 hours
16 km from Belur the small town of Halebidu is an easy 25 min (16.8 km) via NH73 through a lush and still countryside. Before Belur became the capital of the Hoysalas, Halebidu was the capital during the 11th century.
Hoysaleswara Temple
Dedicated to Lord Shiva the 12th-century Hoysaleswara temple is also referred simply as the Halebidu temple.
The largest and best of Hoysala temples, Hoysaleswara temple is considered a masterpiece of traditional Indian art forms. Its construction commenced in 1121 CE and was completed in 1207 CE.
Furthermore the construction work of the temple continued for around 100 years and some believed that it remained incomplete.
“…..this temple without exaggeration, one of the most remarkable monuments ever produced by the hand of man”.
Percy Brown, an authority on Indian architecture
The unique temple complex built with soapstone has four porches for entry. However, the lateral entrance towards the Northern side is now used as the main entrance.
The temple resembles the Chenna Keshava temple at Belur, except for the more profusely carved, exquisite figures adorning the shrine. This temple exemplifies sculptural extravaganza.
“no two canopies in the whole building are alike and every part exhibits a joyous exuberance of fancy, scorning every mathematical restraint. All that is wild in human faith or warm in human feeling is found or portrayed on these walls”.
James Ferguson
The horizontal and vertical friezes create a marvelous interplay of light and shadow. Decorated with one of the most richly sculptured friezes, they run continuously along the lower portion of the temple walls. The sequence of carved layers feature; innumerable elephants in a single file in the lowermost section, lions, scroll work, charging horsemen, scenes from epics and mythical beasts.
A common verandah connects the two main inner sanctums thus creating a spacious columned interior.
Ornately carved pillars support the ceiling inside the large and spacious temple. The capitals of the pillars were once adorned with exquisite sculptures of voluptuous beauties, however unlike the Belur temple only one such figure has survived while the others have gone missing.
….it “may probably be considered as one of the most marvelous exhibition of human labor to be found even in the patient East”
James Ferguson
SHRAVANABELAGOLA
Total Duration: 1.5 – 2.0 hours
81 km from Halebidu the quaint township of Shravanabelagola is an 1 h 36 min (80.9 km) via SH 21 on the way back to either Bangalore or Mysore.
Shravanabelagola nestled in between two hills is one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrim centers in India. Its antiquity dates back to 297 BCE, the Hoysalas converted to Jainism in the 10th century, but readopted to Hinduism in the 11th century.
Shravanabelagola literally means the “monk of the white pond”, named after the “belagola” (white pond) created in the heart of the town.
The colossal 58 foot statue of the Jain sage Gomateshwara regarded as the tallest monolith in Asia is the main attraction here.
The splendidly sculpted statue set in the middle of the temple courtyard atop the 470 feet high Indragiri Hill is accessible by a flight of 641 rock-cut steps. It should be noted that the climb is very steep but not difficult, however if you are unable to climb, there are dolis (chairs) avaialable for rent to reach the shrine.
It is best to visit this site during evening, the sunsets are marvelous and the views at dusk are simply breathtaking.
On the way up to the shrine, there are also a number of Jain basadis or temples. The first major structure you will encounter is the Odegal Basadi dating back to the Hoysala period.
The tallest monolith in Asia
The splendidly sculpted statue set in the middle of the temple courtyard was carved out of a single block of granite in 981 CE and installed in 983 CE.
It is important to note the statue stands upright in the posture of meditation known as Kayotsarga, indicating perfect self control and its nakedness suggests complete renunciation of worldly things.
This magnificent statue visible from a distance of 30 km shows no signs of weathering, even after being exposed to the vagaries of nature for over 1000 years.
CONCLUSION
Rich in history, art and architecture; Hassan district in South India is every travelers dream. You will find magnificent thousand year old structures here that are some of the finest specimens of architecture that can be seen anywhere in the world.
If you enjoy walking in the footsteps of our ancient past and dream of what life was once upon a time; then the golden triangle of Belur, Halebidu and Shravanabelagola should be on every travelers itinerary.
“Halebid and Parthenon form the opposite poles, the Alpha and the Omega of Architectural design. They are the best examples of their class and between these two extremes lies the whole range of that art”
James ferguson on Halebidu Temple
