Hoysala Trails. Review on Belur

This review is all about the hoysala trails, with culmination of the art in Belur, chennakesava temple.  Belur is located off hassan approximately 42 kms enroute to chickmanglur on a beautifully tarred road.  As one leads to the temple it turns rustic.  One can explore the fine art of decorating the stone, it is as if poetry is exhibited.  Belur temple was constructed by Vishnuvardhan in 1117 AD.

A learned villager informed  me, while I was on hoysala trail,  that it was the hand of God that inspired and guided the artisans of the Hoysala Era to perfect the art of construction of an edifice, which symbolizes the blend of heaven, stone and landscape.  Such architectural extravaganza is yet to exhibited anywhere in contemporary era. The miniaturization was perfected on stone, be it jewellery, animals, deities or pillars hoysala artisans had the technology as well as the fine art of sculpting.  The chisel worked as a brush in the hands of a painter.The outcome leaves one gaping in astonishment of how a insignificant soapstone was transformed into an edifice of par excellence.

The Hoysalas were compulsive builders of temple edifices which is  proved, with the fact that they built more than 600 prominent temples in the 4 districts of Karnataka Mandya, Hassan, Chickmaglur and Tumkur Districts.  There is sketchy information on location on various temples, which triggered an inquistiveness in me to systematically and over a period of time explore all the temples.  I have been partially successful to explore some of the exotic temples of the Hoysala period with a passion.  In the process discovered some of the major temples in order of their construction period :**** ***

TEMPLE*

*                                      Location            Year                        King*

Chennakesava Temple             Belur                1117 AD         Vishnuvardhan *

BramhaveswaraTemple** **           Kikkeri              1171 AD        VeeraNarasimha PanchlingeswaraTemple** **         Govindahalli     1170 AD        VeeraNarasimha VenugopalswamyTemple** **         Tonnur              1120 AD        Vishnuvardhan   GopalswamyTemple** **                 Tonnur                                     Vijaynagar Empire*

*Kabadahalli Basti                       Kambadahalli                         Ganga Period

Laxminarasimha****Temple** **        Hosaholalu       1250 AD        Veerasomeshwara

Some trails are yet to be explored, a detailed description of the destination with illustrations are carried out in my travelouge,