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. Added as 42nd UNESCO Heritage site in 2023.
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
Veerabhadra..?
Dancing Saraswati
Gangalar
Gajasamharamurti
Arjuna Shoots an arrow on a Fish - seeing the image in the water pot
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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