Shrouded in the 10th Century AD, lies the story of founding of one of the most formidable empires of India – the Hoysalas.
Belur was originally called Belahuru, Belavuru, Velapuri. It was a famous town during the Hoysala and Kadamba kingdoms. As per Hindu religious mythology, Mohini (female incarnation of Lord Vishnu) killed the formidable demon Bhasmasura in Belur.
Origins of the Hoysala Empire
The origins of the dynasty are legendary. A young man, Sala, killed a lion when it attacked his guru’s Ashram. His guru commanded him “Hoy Sala”. “Hoy” in Old Kannada language meaning “Kill” (verb) and “Sala” being the man’s name. The man killed the lion and the instruction “Hoy Sala” became the name of one of India’s most successful dynasties.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoysala_Kingdom#/media/File:Hoysala_emblem.JPG
The dynasty’s reign spanned some 400 years (!). Somewhere from the 10th century AD to the mid-14th century. To put this into context, the Mughals lasted about 235 years. The formal British Raj in India was about 89 years and 190 years if we are to consider the Battle of Plassey as the starting point of the British Empire.
Once the Hoysalas fell in the 14th century, the areas of the empire were taken over by the legendary Harihara I. That empire would later come to be known as the legendary Vijayanagara Empire.
READ ABOUT Hampi, the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire.
Why is Belur Important?
Belur was the early capital of the Hoysala Empire in the 11th Century. Their capital was later moved to Halebidu, which will cover in another post. In 2023, Belur was included as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Being the capital of the mighty Hoysalas, Belur has a special historical significance. It remained an important center even after the fall of the Hoysalas.
Second, under the Hoysalas Belur also emerged as an important center of pilgrimage. Especially so as a Vaishnava center since at least the 12th century AD, inspired by the teachings of the legendary sage Ramanujacharya.
The second very important reason is the Architectural marvel of the Channakeshava Temple.
Channakeshava Temple
While we will cover the Channakeshava temple in detail in multiple posts later, this is a summary of the significance of the temple. This temple was consecrated by the Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana on the 20th of March, 1117 AD. This temple was built to commemorate Hoysala victory over the Cholas in 1116 AD.
It is said that Sri Ramanujacharya, the famous Vaishnava saint, stayed at the temple and personally worshiped Lord Channakeshava for 30 days.
The Channakeshava temple has a grand Gopuram that serves as the entrance. Since the temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, you see a statue of Garuda facing Lord Vishnu (his lord) in devotion with folded hands.
Source: Here
When facing the temple, on the left side you will see a prototype of the temple that was first constructed. The prototype took 18 years to complete. The entire temple took a whopping 103 years to build over 3 generations of the dynasty!
Carvings on the Channakeshava Temple
If you closely look at the carvings on the walls and the interiors of the temple you will be astonished to witness the extent of perfection and sublimity close to a 1000 years in the past.
The walls have carvings of Gods, scenes from Hindu epics and mythologies on the back side of the temple while on the front you see a number of carvings depicting art, music, dance and various other aspects.
The carvings on the outer walls are perhaps only matched by the carvings and sculptures inside the inner sanctum of the temple. The pillars and sculptures on the inside and ceiling of the temples are exquisite.
How to reach Belur
Belur is a must visit place to witness the spectacular Indian architecture that existed about 1000 years ago. It also continues to be a testimony to the once glorious rule of the Hoysalas of India.
Belur is about 224 kilometers from Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka and the Silicon Valley of India. It is about 24 kilometers from Chikkamagaluru and 16 kilometers from Halebidu. You may visit Belur from Bengaluru by road, on a rented cab or on your vehicle. The roads are well constructed and offer a comfortable journey.
Stay tuned for our follow up posts on Belur and Halebidu
