Belur & Halebidu – Two Cities of Exquisite Art

The Hoysala Kings ruled most part of Karnataka, the Southern state of India from 10th to 14th century. These Kings were great patrons of Art, Architecture and commissioned some of the best stone temples ever built. Belur-Halebidu, in Hassan district of Karnataka, go together like twin cities. Separated only by a short drive, both were home to the Hoysala dynasty for three centuries (mid-11th to mid-14th century).

The Belur and Halebidu temples are cut from the soft stone called chloritic schist. It allowed for very fine detailing, evident in the intricately carved temple walls. As representations of South Indian styles they are comparable only to the temples at Khajuraho. Of special interest are the engineering techniques used in assembling the temple, particularly the locking systems that used grid locks, interlocks, and the pin & socket system. They were used for attaching separately carved panels onto the walls and ceilings, achieving a continuous and inseparable appearance for what are essentially disparate stone structures.

Belur is known for having some of the most intricate carvings in India. It was commissioned by King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE. Out of the 92 Hoysala temples in Karnataka, Belur is considered to be the best. The temple is remarkable for its architecture, sculptures, reliefs, friezes as well as its iconography, inscriptions and history. This temple isn’t just about worship but is also about culture. Some parts have Hindu God characters, some have mythological characters, some have dancing characters, while on the other side it’s stories from the Indian epics of Ramayana & Mahabharata.

It took 103 years and many talented workmen to built this magnificent stone temple, is worshiped till date, and is in great condition. Technically, it’s called Chennakeshava (a form of Vishnu) temple, but most just know it by Belur, the name of the town. Like most Hoysala temples, the platform is star-shaped. The temple of Belur is the best example of Hoysala architecture and the highlight is the nature of the carvings; so intricate that they look like carvings made on sandalwood rather than stone.

Just 16 kilometers away, the main attraction of Halebidu is the Hoysaleswara (a form of Shiva) temple. It is attributed to the ruler Vishnuvardhana. Its construction started around 1121 CE and was completed in 1160 CE. It enshrines Hoysaleswara and Shantaleswara, named after the temple builder Vishnuvardhana Hoysala and his wife, Queen Shantala.

The temples of Belur and Halebidu are best known for their south Indian architecture. Both these temples have carving of Puranas, the Upanishads and other mythological characters from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. With exquisite designs, it is easy to lose oneself in their beauty.