Travel Sized Bites.
A selection of short stories submitted by visitors to the site between 500-1000 words
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the unique temples of belur & halebid
By Author: Binoy Gupta
E-mail: eleena100@hotmail.com
Submitted on Saturday 26th April 2003
(A must-see for all students of architecture, history, and fine arts.)
I have visited numerous temples in India. But the temples of Halebid and Belur are unique. These temples were built by the Hoysala Kings who came to power in 1040 AD after defeating the Chalukya Kings. They were able rulers and ruled for over 300 years.
Halebid was the original capital of this empire. There are two beautiful temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. The idols are in the form of Shivalinga (the phallic form of Lord Shiva). The first temple - Hoysaleshwara Temple - was built by the Chief of Staff in 1121 AD and took 105 years to complete. The other temple - Kedareshwara Temple - was built almost two centuries later - in 1319 AD.
I walked around and inside the temple and marveled at the thousands of the most exquisite sculptures and statues of elephants, horses, lions, swans, depictions of mythological events, and scenes from the Indian epics.
Muslim armies invaded Halebid in 1310 AD and again in 1326 AD turning the grand capital into shambles. The kings shifted the capital to Belur, 16 kms from Halebid. Here, I visited the beautiful temple of Chennakeshava or Lord Vishnu. This temple was constructed in 1117 AD by Vishnuvardhana - the most illustrious Hoysala king. The main entrance is guarded by two identical statues of a youth killing a tiger.
The ceilings and walls of the temple are full of intricately carved images and figures of birds, animals, and dancers in various shapes and postures. Scenes of important episodes from the Hindu epics are depicted here. Beautiful, highly polished, pillars turned on lathe adorn the Navranga Hall. Each pillar is different.
These statues have unrivalled, unimaginable, fluidity which makes them vibrant and almost alive. I saw some students making sketches of these carvings and statues. These places are a must-see for all students of architecture, history, and fine arts. I also saw statuettes depicting all forms of modern-day fashion and different hairstyles including ponytails, a variety of ornaments, skirts, Bermudas, shoes, and slippers.
As I entered the temple, the temple priest had just started the puja. Daily worship continues in the Belur temple making it one of the oldest living temples in the country.
On my journey back, as I drove down to Hassan, I reminisced on what great travelers, historians, and architects had written about these places. They have highly praised the statues. Many have described them as masterpieces and gems of Indian architecture. The unique feature of these temples is that they have been constructed on star-shaped bases unlike the normal square-shaped bases of most Indian temples.
Originally, these temples had the typical high tower above the main temple that fell or were removed. When you visit such places, do hire a trained guide. He will take you on a timeless journey into history.