7 Things You Must See at The Halebidu Hoysaleshwara Temple

This is a continuation of our series on the Hoysala monuments in Belur and Halebidu.

Why is Halebidu important?

Halebidu was originally known as Dorasamudra during the Hoysala times. Dwarsamudra literally means ‘ocean of Dora’ after a huge 9th century artificial lake that formed the eastern boundary or Dvaravati. In the 19th century, the tank and the town have been called as ‘Dvarasamudra’ or ‘gateway to ocean’.

The Hoysalas moved their capital from Belur to Halebidu around the 11th century AD. And Dwarsamudra (or Halebidu) was their capital till the end of the kingdom in the 14th century.

Dwarsamudra was ransacked by the Delhi Sultanate and later decisively by the Sultanate of Madurai in 1343. It eventually came to be known as Halebidu (meaning ‘the old / ruined dwelling’).

Where is Halebidu?

Halebidu is about 15 kms from Belur. It is on the way when traveling from Bangalore to Belur. If you plan to visit Halebidu, it is best to station in Belur since, Belur has better accommodation options in general and Halebidu is nearby.

If you have not already read, do read our post on Belur to learn more.

Why is the Halebidu Hoysaleshwara Temple famous?

The Hoysalas built over 150 temples in different parts of their kingdom. However of the ones that survived the temples in Belur, Somnathapura and Halebidu are considered as the best.

READ more about Belur Channakeshava Temple.

The Halebidu temple is famous for its exquisite artistry, historical significance and being one of the last embodiment of Hoysala art and culture in modern times. The intricate and masterful carvings, sculptures will leave you speechless.

The magnificent temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It has 2 inner sanctums: one dedicated to Shantaleshwara (referring to Shiva, lord of Shantala Devi, the beloved queen of Emperor Vishnuvardhana) and the other to Hoysaleshwara (again referring to Shiva as the Lord of the Hoysala King).

Both the inner and the outer architecture, carvings sculptures are exquisite and will leave you stunned as to the extent of intricate details, finesse and beauty.

What is the history of the Hosaleshwara Halebidu Temple?

As per the inscriptions at a nearby village Ghattada Halli, the temple was built by Sri Kethamalla, a military chief and minister of the King Vishnuvardhana in 1121 AD. The Hoysaleshwara temple in honnour of King Vishnuvardhana and the Shantaleshwara temple in honour of the queen Shantala devi.

The temple took more than 100 years to complete. The Channakeshava temple at Belur, another Hoysala marvel took 103 years to complete!

Here are 10 things you must see when you visit the temple.

Blueprint of the temple

6 Things you must see at the Halebidu Temple

1. Inner Sanctums

There are two sanctum sanctorums in the temple. Both dedicated to Lord Shiva referred to by different names. When you step into the temple, on the left side you first see the Lord Hoysaleshwara as a huge stone structure (Linga) followed by the second sanctorum where Lord Shantaleshwara is present.

In Hinduism, Shiva is always accompanied by his devotee, Nandi. Nandi is a sacred bull, and the guardian and every faithful devotee of Shiva. In all Shiva temples, you will find Nandi seated at a distance facing his lord. Here too, you will find two very large statues of Nandi facing both forms of Shiva. They are housed outside the main shrine to the right side of the temple.

The two are inner sanctums are connected by a common passage which is cool and shields you from the heat outside.

2. Pillars and Carvings within the temple

Hoysala temples are known for their exquisite art, carvings and sculptures. When inside remember to carefully look at the walls, ceilings and statues around you. The finesse of the sculptures are simply amazing.

The pillars for example, after 900 years, are amazingly smooth. The finishing of the pillars will amaze you.

3. Inscriptions of names of donors!

Between the 2 inner sanctums, you will find the names of donors to the temple written in Sanskrit and Old Kannada (Hale Kannada)!

4. Nandi Statues

The temple has two of India’s largest Nandi statues. Nandi, the eternal devotee of lord Shiva, waits patiently for his lord in the main temple. The two Nandi statues are one each for Lord Hoysaleshwara and Lord Shantaleshwara.

5. Outer wall carvings

The outer walls are adorned with many thousands of minutely detailed carvings and sculptures. Here are a few that are mesmerizing. There are amazing carvings and sculptures all around the temple from many different stories and epics in Hinduism.

Krishna Indra battle, Rama Ravana battle, Bhima fighting with elephants, Arjuna Bhishma and Arjuna Karna battles, Abhimanyu in Chakaravyuha (Mahabharata) and hundreds of other spectacular depictions adorn the walls. A few are shown below. When you see them in person, it is hard to believe these have survived 900 years of ravage, loot, plunder, lack of maintenance – and still whisper the bygone times!

6. Garuda Pillar

A story you must read here: The Profound Value System of Kuvara-Lakshma and his Heroic Unit of Garudas

The Garudas were a select unit of bodyguards who safeguarded Hoysala kings. Kuvara-Lakshma was the head of one such unit comprising 1000 bodyguards. When his king Vira Ballala died, Lakshma, his wife Suggala Devi and his unit gave up their lives in his honour.

The pillar depicts Lakshma chopping his own head.

7. Dwarasamudra Lake

The temple has a 900-acres, ancient lake called the man-made Dwarasamudra lake adjacent to it. Dwarasamudra was built by the Rashtrakuta King Dhruva Maharaja, predating the Hoysala era. There’s some debate on the exact timeframe, but it’s believed to be around the 8th or 9th century CE.

Summary

If you are in Bangalore, India – make sure you can find time to visit Halebidu. The legacy of the Hoysalas have survived centuries of loot, plunder, invasions, oblivion and subsequent neglect.

The temples from 900 years in the past though continue to whisper the tales of the people and their lives from far in the history.