The temple of Halebid and Belur is quite famous. These two cities of Halebid and Belur are often called twin cities because one comes across many temples with beautiful architecture and also because one gets to see many wonderful sculptures here. This temple of Halebid and Belur was built during the reign of the Hoysala Empire. Jakkanna Acharya was responsible for building this temple. This temple showcases some amazing designs which were again carved by Jakkanna Acharya. The atmosphere here is extremely peaceful. The temple also has many historical stories to tell. When it comes to the carvings of this temple many of these carvings are related to the Puranas, the Upanishads, and also the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
TRANSPORTATION AND BEST TIME TO VISIT THE PLACE
The Mangalore Airport is the closest to this place. From there one will have to take a bus or a taxi to reach the temple. There are many buses that one can take to reach this temple. If not a bus then one can also travel by taxi to reach here. The Hassan Junction is the closest railway station to this place. From there one will have to take a bus or a taxi to reach the temple. The months of October to March are considered to be the best time to visit this place
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD
There are many places where one can stay around the temple. The prices too are affordable. Some of the names of the places are Commune 18, The Pinto Cottage, Hotel Mayura Velapuri, Chalukya Comforts, The Lotus Boutique Hotel, etc. There are also many places where one can eat food at. Some of the names of the restaurants are Hotel Majestic Family Restaurant, Namma Hotel, Vishnu Delicacy Veg Restaurant, Parijata Restaurant, Swad Restaurant, etc.
PLACES TO VISIT
The Yagachi Dam is an interesting place to visit. It was built in the year 2001 across the Yagachi River. The purpose behind building this dam was to help in irrigation and also meet the needs of drinking water in Belur, Chikmagalur, and Hassan. One can sit near the reservoir here and watch the calm water. For all those who love adventure, the Yagachi Water Adventure Sports Centre is in the backwaters of this dam and it is made to attract tourists here. One can indulge in water sports here like banana boat ride, speed boat, kayaking, jet-skiing, etc
Shravanabelagola is another town which one can visit and it is famous for its historical sites and also Jain Temples. The Bahubali Statue is very famous here. Lord Bahubali is the son of the first Jain Tirthankara. This statue is supposed to be the tallest monolithic stone statue in the world. It is made of a single block of granite. This statue is found in the Gomateshwara Temple which is on the Vindhyagiri Hill. There are also several other basadis that one finds here.
The Archaeological Museum is another tourist spot. It is in front of the Hoysaleshwara Temple. This museum was established in the early 1970s. Most of the artifacts that one finds in this museum are from the 12th and 13th centuries. The museum has more than 1500 sculptures and inscriptions that are of historical importance and have been recovered around and in Halebidu. The museum is an open-air museum and also has a close sculpture gallery that displays all the artifacts. In this open-air museum, one finds many historical sculptures like Krishna, Dancing Shiva, Dancing Ganesha, etc. There is also on display an 18 feet Tirthankara image from one of the ruined tanks of Jain Basadis.
The Darpan Sundari also is quite famous. It is located in the Belur Temple. This sculpture is also known as the lady with the mirror and is engraved on the walls of the temple. There are also many other singing and dancing figures (Madanikas) in the temple. Shantala Devi who was the Queen of King Vishnuvardhana was very beautiful and it is believed that she was the inspiration behind the sculptures.
Sri Kedareshwara Temple is in Halebid. This temple was built during the rule of the Hoysala dynasty. This temple is a Trikuta temple. The main deity here is Lord Shiva who has taken the form of Kedareshwara. Here one finds four star-shaped pillars that are on either side of the entrance which again is a famous thing that the Hoysalas did in most of their temples. There are many images of Lord Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha, etc found here. Each of these images is carved keeping in mind their expressions and then accordingly each image is made to hold weapons. This place is also surrounded by coconut trees and it makes it look all the more beautiful.
The Shantaleswara Temple was built during the reign of the Hoysalas. It was built in the 12th century. The reason behind building this temple was because it was a tribute to Lord Shiva. This temple is named after Queen Shantaladevi who was the wife of King Vishnuvardhana. Both the king and queen have been enshrined in the temple. An interesting thing to note here is that the base structure of the temple resembles a star. The temple also has beautiful carvings that show various stories from Hindu mythology on them.
The Belavadi village is famous because of the Sri Veera Narayana Temple which is built in the Hoysala architectural style. This place is believed to be the same place where Prince Bheema killed Bakasura the demon and protected the village and its people. This temple was built approximately in the 13th century by the Hoysala King Veera Bhallala II. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This whole temple was built out of soapstone and was constructed in two phases. Thus, this is a rich heritage site.
The Hoysala Mahotsava is celebrated on a grand scale. Many artists from all over the world come here to participate in this festival. This festival is celebrated in order to commemorate the victory of the Hoysala dynasty in the various wars that they fought and also to celebrate Hoysala dance, music, and art. The hamlets around become energetic during the festival as the place is decorated with lights everywhere and also because of the festival spirit.
Thus the temple of Halebid and Belur is a nice place to visit.
