Hoysaleswara Temple Halebid

               Hoysaleswara Temple is dedicated to god Shiva. This Temple was built in Halebid, Karnataka state, India. The King Vishnuvardhana of the Hoysala Empire in the 12th century. The development was completed in 1121 ce. During the first 14th century Halebid was looted by Muslim sulthans and kings from north India and the Temple fell into a state of ruin and neglect. In olden days called as Dorasamudra or Dwarasamudra, Halebidu is 16 kilometre from Belur, 31 kilometre from Hassan and 149 kilometre from Mysore in the Karnataka state, India.
 
Hoysaleswara Temple History:
             According to critic and historian S. Settar, from modern inscriptions it’s known  that the temple derives its name from the Hoysala ruler at that time King Vishnuvardhana Hoysaleswara tho’ curiously, the construction of the temple was initiated and financed by rich Shaiva (a Hindu sect) citizens of the city, distinguished among who were Ketamalla and Kesarasetti. The temple building activity was concerned in competition to the development of the Chennakesava Temple at Belur, a Vaishnava (a Hindu sect) Temple. The Hoysaleswara Temple faces a large tank that was built in the center of the 11th century and received water during channels from an ancient anecut (dam) built over the Yagachi River. And the pool preceded the Temple by nearly seventy five years. It’s one of the largest temples dedicated to the god Shiva in India.

Hoysaleswara Temple Architecture:
           The Hoysaleswara Temple is a simple dvikuta vimana (plan with 2 shrines and 2 superstructures), one for “Hoysaleswara” (the king) and the different for “Shantaleswara” (named once Shantala Devi, queen of King Vishnuvardhana) and is built with chloritic chist (more commonly known as soaprock or potstone). The Temple complex as a full is elevated on a jagati (platform), which according to historian Kamath, is a feature that became popular in modern Hoysala constructions.
            According to critic Foekema the 2 shrines that are adjoining face east and every have a mantapa (hall) in front. The temple 2 mantapas are connected giving a large and imposing view of the hall. Individually each shrine is smaller than the one at the Chennakesava Temple at Belur and contains a simple shiva linga the universal symbol of the god Shiva. The plan of the inside of the Temple is simple but the outside appearance completely different because of the introduction of many projections and recesses in the temple walls.
              The towers of the shrines that are missing must have followed the star form of the shrine, even as in several existing healthy towers in different Hoysala temples. The construction over the vestibule that connects the shrine to the mantapa known as sukanasi and the row of decorated miniature roofs above the eaves of the hall are all missing. The Temple was designed at a height that provided the architects enough horizontal and vertical space to depict large and small sculptures. according to the critic James Fergusson the overall effect of the vertical and horizontal lines the play of the define the result of sunshine and shade and the plan of the projections and recesses all amounts to a “marvellous exhibition of human labor to be found even in the patient east and surpasses something in Gothic art”.
           The outer walls of those temples contain an intricate array of stone sculptures. The Hoysaleswara Temple of Halebidu, has been represented by art critics James Fergusson and Percy Brown as an “outstanding example of Hindu architecture” and as the “supreme climax of Indian architecture”
 Hoysaleswara Temple Sculptures :

                 The Hoysaleswara Temple is most well known for its sculptures that run right along the outer wall, starting with a dancing image of the god Ganesh on the left side of the south entrance and ending with another image of Ganesh on the right hand side of the north entrance. In all there are 200 and forty such images.
 In line with the critic Gerard Foekema, maybe no different Hoysala Hoysaleswara Temple is as articulate in sculpture as this can be and these sculptures are “second to none in all of India”. the most labyrinthine of all sculptures are found in the lintels over 2 of the doorways, one on the south side doorway and the different on one of the eastern doorways.