Reigning as the glory of Karnataka, The Sacred Esembles of Hoysalas have been listed as India’s 42nd UNESCO World Heritage Site. Classifying to its status, the structures preserve and immortalize the art, culture, architecture and historic richness of the Hoysala Empire adding to the high reputation of India’s splendorous structures worldwide. Although the making of the temples took place over numerous decades and the craftsmanship witnessed various hands, one can see no compromise regarding the precision and proportion of the beautiful architecture and detailing.
UNESCO and Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas
Enlisted in the UNESCO’s Tentative List since April 2024, the Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas has finally been claimed as the 42nd UNESCO World Heritage Site of India. The temples consist of shrines in Beluru, Halebidu and Somnathapura belonging to a larger group of temples built by the Hoysala dynasty during the 11th to 14th century, across Karnataka covering the major part of the Deccan plateau. The site is now a part of India’s rich heritage and culture protecting the remains of its timeless glory and withstanding the battles of times.
History of Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas
Constructed in the 12th-13th centuries, these architectural masterpieces belong to the Hoysala dynasty which ruled the region (the Deccan Plateau) from the 10th to 14th century establishing a mark in the culture, history and architecture of India. The Hoysala were an extended clan of lineages associated with Lord Krishna assisting as patrons to the religious traditions of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. They worked on promoting the different sects and deities and vocalizing the flourishment of other languages like Sanskrit and Kannada as well as art forms like dance and music.
The early Hoysala rulers focused on showcasing a distinct and novel temple architecture that magnified their grand sacred places, setting them apart from the contemporary kingdoms and dynasties. Even though the architects drew inspiration from these said contemporary typologies they made considered and informed selections of features and modifications that blended perfectly resulting in the novel ‘Hoysala Temple form’.
Architecture of Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas
The Hoysala temples are a blend of basic Dravidian morphology but showcase a blend of the Bhumija style widely used in Central India, the Nagara traditions of northern and western India and the Karnataka Dravida modes favoured by the Kalyani Chalukyas making them easily distinguishable from other medieval temples.
The Hoysala temples were known for their detailed sculptures covering the subjects of Hindu deities, mythical creatures and epics along with lathe-turned pillars, star-shaped ceilings and perforated stone jalis. The temple complex observes open areas structured with pillars supporting ceilings making up the tower.
Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas
Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas: The Holy Trinity
The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas is a Holy Trinity of three major temples, the Channakeshava Temple, the Hoysaleswara Temple and the Keshava Temple. Although located at a distance from one another, all of these temples follow the same design and planning of the Hoysala architecture, giving us structures adorned by hyper-real sculptures and stone carvings covering the entire surface with intricate detailing in planning and execution.
The temples had similar architectural patterns with circumambulatory platforms, sculptures and detailings portraying the Hindu mythological stories or the daily life of people of that period emphasising the rule and status of the dynasty. These temples portray a significant development in Hindu temple architecture in which structures experienced a legendary amalgamation of the excellence of sculptural art and the evolution of artistic planning of temple complexes.
The Channakeshava Temple
The oldest of the three temples built in the 12th century, 116 AD is the resplendent Channakeshava Temple also known as the Vijayanarayana Temple. Located in Belur in the Hassan district at the banks of the Yagachi River, the then capital of the Hoysala Empire the temple complex was built to commemorate the victory over the Cholas by King Vishnuvardhana. The temple houses more than 80 Mandanika sculptures of dancing, hunting and standing under canopied trees.
Believed to have taken 103 years to complete, the star-shaped sprawling Garbhagriha and its zigzag walls inhabiting the shrines of the 24 forms of the ‘most beautiful Vishnu’ make the figures look visually different according to the change in daylight. The main highlight of the temple is the complex carvings on the entire surface of the temple complex depicting the Hindu mythological epics and figures of art and culture. Along with it the pillars of the complex are said to have inspired the designs of South Indian traditional temple jewellery.
The Hoysaleswara Temple
Situated 18 km from Channakeshava Temple, Halebid houses the Hoysaleswara Temple also known as the Twin Temple. Built a century after Channakeshava, the temple was made by Ketamlla and dedicated to Lord Shiva making it the largest Shiva temple in South India. Although plundered in the 14th century, the temple is adorned with exceptional features that attract people from all over the globe.
The temple complex contains Garuda Stamba, three Jaina basadi (temples) from the Hoysala period and a stepped well plays an interesting element in the overall look and planning of the complex. The major attraction apart from a large Nandi sitting right in front of the twin shrines, is the 240 detailed sculptures that run all along the exterior walls depicting various aspects of Shiva and scenes from Hindu mythologies like the Mahabharata and Ramayana. The work on the outer walls is much similar to the detailed carving of Khajuraho.
The Keshava Temple
About 30 minutes from the Hoysaleswara Temple is the Keshava Temple on the banks of River Kaveri at Somanathapuram village of Mysore district. Constructed in 1268 AD by Somanatha Dandanayaka under King Narashima III, the temple is a Vaishnava temple with 3 sanctums dedicated to Keshava (on the West), Venugopala (on the South) and Janardhana (on the North) all forms of Vishnu.
The temple is similar to the other two in architecture, planning and style with a grand idol in the centre, a carved ceiling and the main temple in the centre on a high star-shaped platform enclosed in a courtyard. The temple is set in the courtyard with pillared corridors of small shrines forming an overall cloistered setting. The main Keshava idol is missing while the other two are damaged.
The structures weave tales of remarkable periods that witnessed various religious beliefs, artistic evolutions, accentuated cravings, and geometric pillars engulfing the stellate plan forming a star-shaped platform forming the centre with the surface ornamented with detailings on deep grey soapstone. The 12th to 14th centuries was when the architecture of temple complexes saw experiments and fusions of various styles crafting out planning and details that reached their pinnacle in showcasing the authentic craftsmanship and artistic styles of India.
Reference List:
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