Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas

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Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Somanathapura Keshava temple.jpg
Location Karnataka, India
Includes
Criteria Cultural: i, ii, iv
Reference 1670
Inscription2023 (45th Session)

The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas is a group of three Hoysala-style temples in South India recognized as a World Heritage Site. These temples at Somanathapura, Belur and Halebidu, were built between the 12th and 13th centuries under the Hoysala Empire. [1] The three temples under the title of the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023, for their outstanding architecture, hyper-realistic sculptures and stone carvings. [2]

Contents

The architectural style of the three temples was developed by the early Hoysala rulers – who established their new kingdoms and regimes in South India – as a distinctive and innovative sacred architecture, which distinguishes the temples from contemporary kingdoms and dynasties. [3] [4] These temples are as follows:

Location

India Karnataka location map.svg
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Chennakeshava Temple
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Keshava Temple
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Hoysaleswara Temple
Location of Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas.

The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas is located in three places in two districts of Karnataka, there are two temples in Hassan district and one temple in Mysore district. [5]

The Chennakeshava Temple is located in Belur, about 35 kilometers (22 mi) northwest of Hassan town, the headquarter of Hassan district. The temple is about 16 kilometers (9.9 mi) away from Halebidu Temple. The nearest airport to the temple is Bangalore Airport, from which it is a 220 km (137 mi) long drive of about 3.5 hours on National Highway 75 heading west. [6] The Hoysaleswara Temple is located in Halebidu town in Hassan district of Karnataka state. It is about 30 km (19 ma) north-west of Hassan and about 16 km (9.9 ma) from Belur temple. The temple is reached by a 210 km (130 mi) long drive of about 4 hours on the National Highway 75 heading west from Bangalore Airport. [6] The nearest city to both the temples of Hassan district is Hassan, which is connected to the major cities of Karnataka by railway network.

The Keshav Temple is located at Somnathpura, 38 kilometers (24 mi) east of Mysore city, the headquarters of Mysore district. [7]

History

The Hoysala dynasty ruled large parts of present-day Karnataka between the 11th and 14th centuries. By the end of the 12th century, they had expanded the agrarian economic system of their kingdom and had also begun to establish taxation, revenue and administrative systems, thus beginning the process of state formation. At the same time, the Hoysala kings made a concerted effort to establish a new and distinct identity for their kingdom through patronage of art, architecture and literature. As a result, a new form of temple architecture developed, combining superior carving and superior decoration with innovative temple planning. This architectural style synthesized and combined architectural features prevalent in different parts of the country with original elements in innovative ways. [5]

One of the Hoysala kings was Vishnuvardhana, who came to power in 1110 AD. He commissioned the Chennakeshava Temple dedicated to Vishnu in 1117 AD, it considered the "five foundations" of his legacy. [8] [9] The main Chennakeshava Temple at Belur was completed in 1117 AD, although the complex continued to expand for over 100 years. Ketamalla, an employee of King Vishnuvardhana, built the Hoysaleswara Temple in 1150 AD. It also mentions that the king granted land for the construction, operation and maintenance of the Shiva temple in 1121 AD. It is the largest temple built by the Hoysala kings dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The Keshav Temple at Somanathapura was completed in 1258 AD by King Somnath. He also built a fort wall around the land, but these are now in ruins. The Hoysala kings employed many famous architects and craftsmen, who developed a new architectural tradition, which art historian Adam Hardy calls the Karnata Dravida tradition.

The temples became targets of plundered and destruction by the Delhi Sultanate army of Alauddin Khalji in the early 14th century [10] and another Delhi Sultanate army of Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq in 1326 AD. [11]

According to a 15th-century inscription, the Keshav Temple was also badly damaged. It was repaired in the 16th century with financial support and grants from the emperors of the Vijayanagara Empire. Repairs are evidenced by the varying color and quality of stonework in the veranda and north tower and in parts of the platform of the main temple. The repaired temples was damaged in the 19th century, then rebuilt by the colonial-era Government of Mysore in the early 20th century. [12]

Temples

Temples, religious affiliations and consecration years
Sequence Modern temple name Religion Deity Completed by
(CE)
Image
1 Chennakeshava Temple Hinduism Vishnu 1117 Chennakeshava Temple at Belur.jpg
2 Hoysaleswara Temple Hinduism Shiva 1160 Halebeedu-main.jpg
3 Keshava Temple Hinduism Vishnu 1258 Chennakesava Temple-Somanathapura.jpg

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoysala architecture</span> Medieval Hindu temple style

Hoysala architecture is the building style in Hindu temple architecture developed under the rule of the Hoysala Empire between the 11th and 14th centuries, in the region known today as Karnataka, a state of India. Hoysala influence was at its peak in the 13th century, when it dominated the Southern Deccan Plateau region. Large and small temples built during this era remain as examples of the Hoysala architectural style, including the Chennakesava Temple at Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu, and the Kesava Temple at Somanathapura. These three temples were accorded UNESCO world heritage site status in 2023. Other examples of Hoysala craftsmanship are the temples at Belavadi, Amruthapura, Hosaholalu, Mosale, Arasikere, Basaralu, Kikkeri and Nuggehalli. Study of the Hoysala architectural style has revealed a negligible Indo-Aryan influence while the impact of Southern Indian style is more distinct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoysala Kingdom</span> Kannadiga empire that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India (10th–14th centuries)

The Hoysala Kingdom was a Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur, but was later moved to Halebidu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halebidu</span> Village in Karnataka, India

Halebidu is a town located in Hassan District, Karnataka, India. Historically known as Dwarasamudra, Halebidu became the regal capital of the Hoysala Empire in the 11th century CE. In the modern era literature it is sometimes referred to as Halebeedu or Halebid as the phonetic equivalent, a local name after it was damaged and deserted after being ransacked and looted twice by the forces of the Turko-Persian Delhi Sultanate in the 14th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chennakeshava Temple, Somanathapura</span> 13th-century Hindu temple in Karnataka, India

The Chennakesava Temple, also referred to as Chennakeshava Temple and Keshava Temple, is a Vaishnava Hindu temple on the banks of River Kaveri at Somanathapura, Mysuru, Karnataka, India.The temple was consecrated in 1258 CE by Somanatha Dandanayaka, a general of the Hoysala King Narasimha III. It is located 38 kilometres (24 mi) east of Mysuru city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belur, Karnataka</span> Town in Karnataka, India

Belur is a town and taluk in Hassan district in the state of Karnataka, India. The town is renowned for its Chennakeshava Temple dedicated to Vishnu, one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture and the largest Hindu temple complex that has survived from pre-14th-century Karnata-Dravida tradition. A historic site inspired by the teachings of Ramanujacharya, it has been a Vaishnava Hindu pilgrimage center since at least the 12th century. It was also the first capital of the Hoysala dynasty, before they built Dwarasamudra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hassan district</span> District of Karnataka in India

Hassan is one of the 31 districts of Karnataka, India. The district headquarter is Hassan. It was part of Manjarabad Faujdari a.k.a Patnada Rayada between 1832-81. In 1882, it was reduced into a sub-division under erstwhile Kadur district. But in 1886, the Hassan district was restored to its current form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vishnuvardhana</span> Hoysala King

Vishnuvardhana was a king of the Hoysala Empire in what is today the state of Karnataka, India. He ascended the Hoysala throne after the death of his elder brother Veera Ballala I in c.1108. Originally a follower of Jainism and known as Bitti Deva, he came under the influence of the Hindu philosopher Ramanuja, converted to Hindu Vaishnavism and took the name "Vishnuvardhana". His queen Shanthala however remained a Jain. This was the transition period from Jainism to Hinduism. Vishnuvardhana took the first steps in creating an independent Hoysala Empire in South India through a series of battles against his overlord, the Western Chalukya King Vikramaditya VI, and the Chola Empire to the south. He recovered parts of Gangavadi province from the hegemony of the Cholas in the battle of Talakad, and parts of Nolambavdi. According to historian Coelho, the Hoysalas gained the dignity of a kingdom due to the efforts of Vishnuvardhana, whose rule was packed with "glorious" military campaigns. According to historians Sen, Chopra et al., and Sastri, Vishnuvardhana was a "great soldier" and an "ambitious monarch".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Nuggehalli</span> Hindu temple in Karnataka, India

The Lakshmi Narasimha temple is a 13th-century Hindu temple with Hoysala architecture in Nuggehalli village, Hassan district, Karnataka, India. This three shrine Vaishnava complex is dedicated to Keshava, Lakshmi Narasimha and Venugopala. It was built in 1246 CE by Bommanna Dandanayaka, a commander in the Hoysala Empire during the rule of King Vira Someshwara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chennakeshava Temple, Belur</span> 12th-century Vishnu temple complex in Belur, Karnataka (Hoysala Empire era)

Chennakeshava Temple, also referred to as Keshava, Kesava or Vijayanarayana Temple of Belur, is a 12th-century Hindu temple in, Hassan district of Karnataka state, India. It was commissioned by King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE, on the banks of the Yagachi River in Belur, an early Hoysala Empire capital. The temple was built over three generations and took 103 years to finish. It was repeatedly damaged and plundered during wars, repeatedly rebuilt and repaired over its history. It is 35 km from Hassan city and about 220 km from Bengaluru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoysaleswara Temple</span> 12th century Shiva temple in Halebidu, Karnataka

Hoysaleswara temple, also referred simply as the Halebidu temple, is a 12th-century Hindu temple dedicated to the god 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. Its construction started around 1121 CE and was complete in 1160 CE.

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The Hoysala Empire was a notable South Indian Kannadiga empire that ruled most of the modern-day state of Karnataka between the 10th to the 14th centuries. The capital of the empire was initially based at Belur, and later transferred to Halebidu. Hoysala administration was influenced by the Western Ganga Dynasty whom the Hoysalas replaced in present-day South Karnataka and their early overlords, the Western Chalukyas.

The Hoysala Kingdom was a South Indian Kannadiga kingdom that ruled most of the modern-day state of Karnataka between the 10th to the 14th centuries. The capital of the empire was initially based at Belur, and later transferred to Halebidu. Hoysala society in many ways reflected the emerging religious, political and cultural developments of those times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political history of medieval Karnataka</span> History of Karnataka region of India

The political history of medieval Karnataka spans the 4th to the 16th centuries in Karnataka region of India. The medieval era spans several periods of time from the earliest native kingdoms and imperialism; the successful domination of the Gangetic plains in northern India and rivalry with the empires of Tamilakam over the Vengi region; and the domination of the southern Deccan and consolidation against Muslim invasion. The origins of the rise of the Karnataka region as an independent power date back to the fourth-century birth of the Kadamba Dynasty of Banavasi which was the earliest of the native rulers to conduct administration in the native language of Kannada in addition to the official Sanskrit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chennakeshava Temple, Aralaguppe</span> Hindu temple in Karnataka, India

The Chennakeshava temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, is located in Aralaguppe, a small town in Karnataka state, India. Aralaguppe is located 60 km from the city of Hassan. The temple was built around 1250 during the rule of the Hoysala Empire King Vira Someshwara. The temple is a protected monument under the Karnataka state division of the Archaeological Survey of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Karnataka</span>

The antiquity of architecture of Karnataka can be traced to its southern Neolithic and early Iron Age, Having witnessed the architectural ideological and utilitarian transformation from shelter- ritual- religion. Here the nomenclature 'Architecture' is as old as c.2000 B.C.E. The upper or late Neolithic people in order to make their shelters by their own they constructed huts made of wattle and doab, that were buttressed by stone boulders, presumably having conical roof resting on the bamboo or wooden posts into red murram or paved granite chips as revealed in archaeological excavations in sites like Brhamagiri, Sanganakallu, Tekkalakota, Piklihal. Megaliths are the dominant archaeological evidence of the early Iron Age. There are more than 2000 early Iron Age burial sites on record, who laid the foundation for a high non-perishable architecture in the form of various distinct architectural styles of stone-built burials, which are ritualistic in its character. The active religious architecture is evident 345 with that of the Kadamba Dynasty. Karnataka is a state in the southern part of India originally known as the State of Mysore. Over the centuries, architectural monuments within the region displayed a diversity of influences, often relaying much about the artistic trends of the rulers of twelve different dynasties. Its architecture ranges dramatically from majestic monolith, such as the Gomateshwara, to Hindu and Jain places of worship, ruins of ancient cities, mausoleums and palaces of different architectural hue. Mysore Kingdom (Wodeyar) rule has also given an architectural master structure in the St. Philomena's Church at Mysore which was completed in 1956, in addition to many Dravidian style architectural temples. Two of the monuments are listed under the UNESCO World Heritage List of 22 cultural monuments in India. Styles of Indo-Saracenic, Renaissance, Corinthian, Hindu, Indo-Greek and Indo-British style palaces were built in Mysore, the city of palaces. Sikh architecture at Bidar (1512) and also in Bangalore in 1956 can also be cited as having an impact on the architectural composition of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nageshvara-Chennakeshava Temple complex, Mosale</span> Hindu temple in Karnataka, India

The Nageshvara-Chennakeshava temple complex, sometimes referred to as the Nagesvara and Chennakesava temples of Mosale, are a pair of nearly identical Hindu temples in the village of Mosale near Hassan city, Karnataka, India. One for Shiva, other for Vishnu, this pair is a set of highly ornamented stone temples, illustrating the Hoysala architecture. These temples also include panels of artwork related to the goddess tradition of Hinduism (Shaktism) and Vedic deities. Another notable feature of these temples is the artwork in their ceilings, how the shilpins (artisans) integrated the historic pre-Hoysala architectural innovations from the Chalukya era. Further, the temples include north Indian Bhumija and south Indian Vesara aedicules on the outer walls above the panels. It is unclear when this temple pair was built, but given the style and architectural innovations embedded therein, it was likely complete before 1250 CE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sankighatta</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shantinatha Basadi, Jinanathapura</span>

Shantinatha Basadi, a Jain temple dedicated to the sixteenth Tirthankar Shantinatha is located in the historically important temple town of Jinanathapura near Shravanabelagola. It is a village in Channarayapatna taluk in the Hassan district of Karnataka state, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jain temples, Halebidu</span> Jain temples in the state of Karnataka

Jain hoysala complex in Halebidu, Hassan district consists of three Jain Basadis dedicated to the Jain Tirthankars Parshvanatha, Shantinatha and Adinatha. The complex is situated near Kedareshwara temple and Dwarasamudra lake. The temple complex also includes a step well called Hulikere Kalyani.

References

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  3. Singh, Rahul Sunilkumar (18 September 2023). "Hoysala Temples in Karnataka now India's 42nd UNESCO's World Heritage site; PM Modi says 'more pride'". www.hindustantimes.com. Hindustan Times. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
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  5. 1 2 Nomination Dossier – Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas. Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage. pp. 41–136.
  6. 1 2 V. K. Subramanian (2003). Art Shrines of Ancient India. Abhinav Publications. pp. 75–77. ISBN   978-81-7017-431-8.
  7. Keshava Temple, Somnathpura, Karnataka Archived 23 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine , Government of Karnataka, India
  8. Foekema (1996), p. 47
  9. Kamath (2001), p. 124
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  12. M.H. Krishna (1965). Annual report of the Mysore Archeological Department. University of Mysore. pp. 18–19.