Halebid town

Halebidu  is a town
located in Hassan District, Karnataka, India. Halebidu was the regal capital of
the Hoysala Empire in the 12th century. It is home to some of the best examples
of Hoysala architecture. Most notable are the ornate Hoysaleshwara and
Kedareshwara temples. The city got the name “Halebidu” because it was
damaged and deserted into “old capital” after being ransacked and
looted twice by Islamic forces of the Delhi Sultanate in the 14th-century.Halebidu in Karnataka is one of the ancient temple towns of
South India. The town is untouched by tourist crowds and a beautiful offbeat
experience. Known as Dwarasamudra, gateway to the seas, Halebid is the capital
of the Hoysala Dynasty for about 150 years. Sacked by the armies of Malik Kafur
in the early 14th century, the town fell into a state of ruin. Even in the
ravaged state, the town glory still remains undiminished. Spend time exploring
the temple ruins of Halebid. You can also combine your tour with a visit to
Belur along with Jain monuments at Shravanabelagola.Hoysaleswara
temple. The temple is famous for its minute carvings in black stone. The lower
half of the outer wall has stone carved horizontal stips with carvings of
Elephants at bottom, Lions in Second layer, Scenes of Story of Mahabharata and
Ramayana in third level and Floral Design in fourth level. The upper Part of
Outer walls depict statues of Hindu Deities such as Shiva Parvati, Krishna,
Vishnu, Varaha Rup, Narsimha etc. The Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are
two Temples. A huge Nanadi (which is the ‘vahan’ of Lord Shiva and is therefore
always in front of the Shiva temple) statue is in front of each Shiva temple.
The 2 Nandi statutes at this temple are considered to be amongst the most
beautiful of the 7 massive Nandi statues that adorn various temples in South
India. The superbly polished finish of the scupture is remarkable for the fact
that even after centuries, the stone has a highly reflective sheen; a technique
not yet fully understood. One needs to remove shoes before entering the Temple.
There is shoe storage facility for Rs. 3 per pair of Shoe. It is advisable to
Leave shoes in vehicle if u have your own or hired one. The shoe keeper might
demand more money stating that the board kept is old one and rates are revised
etc. On the edge of the Temple complex one can have a beautiful view of the
River. It is advisable to hire a guide to understand the complex fully, The
guide charges around Rs. 300, The same may be negotiable (depending upon the
season and rush). The guide will generally take you around the temple – showing
you the highlights and giving you the basic information. Do not stop to take
photographs at that stage as the guide will not extend your time beyond a
maximum of 40 minutes.Interested visitors should however take another round of
the temple ( there is no restriction & no fresh ticket required). Have a
more leisurely round of the entire temple complex to really appreciate the
minute details in the carvings. The temple area is not very large and this will
not take a total of more than 2 hours. This would also give you ample
opportunity to take all the photos that you want. The carvings are almost
entirely in a soft stone (soapstone) which has given the artists the ability to
capture exquisite details. The carvings are not merely decorative but depict
important scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharat. They are high quality art and
also are laden 
with
symbolism.
  

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