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Hoysaleswara
temple,
also
referred
simply
as
the Halebidu
temple,
is
a
12th-century Hindu temple
dedicated
to Shiva.
It
is
the
largest
monument
in Halebidu,
a
town
in
the
state
of Karnataka,
India
and
the
former
capital
of
the Hoysala
Empire.
The
temple
was
built
on
the
banks
of
a
large
man-made
lake,
and
sponsored
by
King Vishnuvardhana of
the
Hoysala
Empire.[1] Its
construction
started
around
1121
CE
and
was
complete
in
1160
CE.[2][3] During
the
early
14th
century,
Halebidu
was
twice
sacked
and
plundered
by
the Muslim armies
of
the Delhi
Sultanate from
northern
India,[4][5][6] and
the
temple
and
the
capital
fell
into
a
state
of
ruin
and
neglect.[7] It
is
30
kilometres
(19 mi)
from Hassan city
and
about
210
kilometres
(130 mi)
from Bengaluru.The
Hoysaleswara
temple
is
a Shaivism tradition
monument,
yet
reverentially
includes
many
themes
from Vaishnavism and Shaktism tradition
of
Hinduism,
as
well
as
images
from Jainism.[9] The
Hoysaleswara
temple
is
a
twin-temple
dedicated
to
Hoysaleswara
and
Santaleswara
Shiva
lingas,
named
after
the
masculine
and
feminine
aspects,
both
equal
and
joined
at
their
transept.
It
has
two
Nandi
shrines
outside,
where
each
seated
Nandi
face
the
respective
Shiva
linga
inside.[10] The
temple
includes
a
smaller
sanctum
for
the
Hindu
Sun
god Surya.
It
once
had
superstructure
towers,
but
no
longer
and
the
temple
looks
flat.[11] The
temple
faces
east,
though
the
monument
is
presently
visited
from
the
north
side.
Both
the
main
temples
and
the
Nandi
shrines
are
based
on
a
square
plan.[12] The
temple
was
carved
from soapstone.
It
is
notable
for
its
sculptures,
intricate
reliefs,
detailed
friezes
as
well
its
history,
iconography,
inscriptions
in
North
Indian
and
South
Indian
scripts.
The
temple
artwork
provides
a
pictorial
window
into
the
life
and
culture
in
the
12th
century
South
India.
About
340
large
reliefs
depict
the
Hindu
theology
and
associated
legends.[9] Numerous
smaller
friezes
narrate
Hindu
texts
such
as
the Ramayana,
the Mahabharata and
the Bhagavata
Purana.
Some
friezes
below
large
reliefs
portray
its
narrative
episodes.
The
artwork
in
Hoysaleswara
temple
is
damaged
but
largely
intact.
Within
a
few
kilometers
of
the
temple
are
numerous
ruins
of
Hoysala
architecture.
The
temple
along
with
the
nearby Jain
Temples and
the Kedareshwara
temple,
along
with
the Kesava
temple in
Belur
have
been
proposed
to
be
listed
under UNESCO
World
Heritage
Sites.The
Hoysaleswara
Temple
is
in Halebidu,
also
called
Halebeedu,
Halebid,
Dorasamudra.
Halebidu
is
a
town
in
Hassan
district
of
the Indian
state of Karnataka.
It
is
about
30
kilometres
(19 mi)
northwest
of Hassan.[8] The
temple
is
about
16
kilometres
(9.9 mi)
from Belur,
Karnataka temples.[8] Halebidu
has
no
nearby
airport,
and
is
about
210
kilometres
(130 mi)
west
of Bengaluru (IATA
Code:
BLR),
about
4
hours
drive
accessible
with
a four
lane
NH75
highway through
Hassan.
Halebidu
is
connected
by
railway
network
at
Hassan
to
major
cities
of
Karnataka.The
Hoysala
period
of
South
Indian
history
began
about
1000
CE
and
continued
through
1346
CE.
In
this
period,
they
built
around
1,500
temples
in
958
centres.[15] Halebidu
was
originally
called
Dvarasamudra
(or
Dorasamudra),
a
name
derived
from
two
Sanskrit
words
"Dvara"
(gateway,
door)
and Samudra (ocean,
sea,
large
water
body).
The
capital
used
to
be Belur,
Karnataka,
but
Dvarasamudra
became
the
established
capital
under
king Vishnuvardhana and
served
as
the
capital
of
the
Hoyasala
Empire
for
nearly
300
years.[11][16][15]
Unlike
other
Hoysala
temples
that
have
survived
into
the
modern
age,
and
despite
numerous
inscriptions
in
the
temple
premises,
the
Hoysaleswara
Temple
lacks
a
dedication
inscription.[11] It
is
likely
lost,
along
with
the
many
other
features
of
the
original
temple.
An
inscription
found
about
five
kilometers
from
the
temple
site,
near
the
Kallesvara
temple
ruins
in
Ghattadahalli,
states
that
Ketamalla
–
officer
in
the
employ
of
king
Vishnuvardhana
constructed
this
temple.
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