Destination Features

We are the citizens of an antique land. Intellectually, I think, we all realize this fact. However, it is only when we stumble upon forgotten hamlets like Belur and Halebid do we begin to comprehend what the phrase “the passage of time” actually signifies. Now a couple of small towns, 40 km from Hassan in Karanataka, Belur and Halebid were once the capitals of the mighty Hoysala kingdom. In a sense, the very history of this place exemplifies the (Indian) pattern of the rise and fall of religions and civilizations.

The Hoysalas were once the tribal subordinates to another powerful empire, the Chalukyas. King Vishnuvardhan was a Jain who subsequently converted to Hinduism. His queen, Shantaladevi, however, continued to practice Jainism and the temples at Belur and Halebid reflect the dynamism between the two religions.

Settled on the banks of the river Yagachi, Belur was once known as Dakshina Varanasi, literally, the Varanasi of the South. The temples built by the Hoysala kings formed the blueprint for subsequent Dravidian architecture. It was King Vishnuvardhan who, famous for his patronage of the arts, got 1500 temples built in around 958 sites. Today only 100 survive. Though Jakkanna Achari is credited with the construction of both the temple complexes, it is only when you visit do you realize how different in character they both are.

For about 150 years Halebid flourished as the capital of the Hoysala dynasty. At that time it was known as the Gateway to the Seas or the Dwarasamudram. The city was vulnerable to hostile invasions and the Hoysala kings shifted their capital to Belur. This once great city fell to ruins and gained its now current name Hale’biddu or ‘the ruined city’.

Some of the more famous structures here include the Chennakeshava temple at Belur and the Hoysaleshwara at Halebid. The former is still in use as a place of worship. The temples are renowned for their architecture and, even today, are frequented by art students who come to study its distinctive stonework.