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Halebeedu

Today's halebeedu was the then capital of the Hoysalas. It stood aloft inside a long stone fort running for about 10Kms. Dhora samudra was the nomenclature attached to that big town. Though there were many sculptural niceties in the form of temples and other buildings filled with art and architecture, mostly what we see today are only their remains. Nevertheless as a live symbol of Hoysala Architecture, the twin temple of Hoysaleshwara - Saantileswara

can be witnessed all most unmitigated even today. During the reign of Vishnuvardhana Raya this temple was erected by commander in chief Kethamalla about 1120 AD. It has centrifuged all most all the beauty of Hoysala style of Architecture into itself and thus has proven to be a great gem in that lineage. The stone carvings standing along the length and breath walls reflect devotion in the God and the gods. The delineation in literally solid figures of the serials of the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha epics have been presenting hundreds of morals and models for the life of every one infused with real humanity in him. These themselves are the unwritten, big epics touching the mind and heart of even illiterates.

A separate Mahadwara (Main entrance) and a Navaranga (the long and broad interior hall) always precede the sanctuary in each temple.

Inside the northern sanctuary there is the Sivalinga going by the name Saantaleshwara. And inside the other sanctum - sanctorum is the Hoysaleswara sivalinga. In front of the eastern entrance of each temple there is a colossal idol of Nandi, earved out of monolithic stone. In addition to the above two sanctuaries, one of Sun God is also found

existing where in shines a seven ft high idol of the Sun God.

There exist four entrances to the twin temple, out of which the southern one is especially bedecked with the beauty of very delicate art work unimaginable in a stone plate. In front of this entrance there lies an eye capturing 8 ft. lofty Ganapati idol in a hefty form. The eastern entrances are also attractive.

Around this very temple rows or bands of elephants, horses, lions, crocodiles, creepers and swans are found in the form of solid roll models, the bands being arranged one over the other along the enveloping the wall surfaces. There are also arrays of idols depicting the epics in a continuously rolling serial fashion. Beautiful sculptural master pieces have been contained as engraving in the walls themselves. The idols of the door guards are very tall and drawing our Attention inescapably to themselves because of the delicate artistic ornamentations over them.

All around the temple stretches an incessant array of flower gardens. On the south east corner there exists a little museum of sculptural art. On the east there is the biggest tank of Halebeedu beside the temple. In the inscriptions it has been designated as Dhorasamudra. The name "Adobe of the Dhorasamudra " for the capital of the Hoysalas was derived from this tank itself.

In the 13th Century the dam was built across the yagachi near Belur in order to channelise water into the Dhora Samudra tank. This fact has been discovered through the inscriptions and relics left over.

Around the old city a strong balck stone fort had been built for protecting the capital. At the central area inside was an inner fortress encompassing the congregation of Royal Abodes built in the form of palacial places of luxury. Today what can be witnessed are their remains only. Due to the attacks by the Moghals by 1346AD, the Dhora Samudra city found its own decline along with that of the Hoysala empire. So today what stands still available to us has been designated as Halebeedu (the Ancient abode).

Around Halebeedu, and inside too, several temples, some still strong, and some dilapidated, can be found even today.

Adjacent to Hassan : Belavadi | Marle | Govindanahalli | Hosaholalu

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