Haledidu

Halebidu is located in Hassan District, Karnataka was the capital of the Hoysala Empire in the 12th century. Halebidu was earlier called Dorasamudra or Dwarasamudra. It is home to one of the best examples of Hoysala architecture in the ornate Hoysaleswara and Kedareswara temples.



Halebidu is just 16 km away from the one more historical place Belur. It is well connected by road and rail to Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore. There are regular buses to Hassan. The distance is 149 km to Mysore and 31 km to Hassan.

Halebidu
Location	Hassan District, Karnataka
Best time to visit	October to April
Places to visit	Halebidu Kedareshwara Temple, Halebidu Hoysaleswara Temple, Hassan

Halebidu was the 12th century capital of the Hoysalas. The Hoysaleswara temple was built during this time by Ketamala and attributed to Vishnuvardhana, the Hoysala ruler. It enshrines Hoysaleswara and Shantaleswara, named after the temple builder Vishnuvardhana Hoysala and his wife, Queen Shantala.

Then it was sacked by the armies of Malik Kafur in the early 14th century, after which it fell into a state of disrepair and neglect.

Currently Halebidu is facing serious problems in decaying infrastructure, including a lack of basic amenities like toilets and drinking water. The temples are said to be in a dilapidated state.

Temple Complex
The temple complex comprises two Hindu temples, the Hoysaleshawara and Kedareshwara temples and two Jain basadi. In front of these temples there is a big lake. The town gets its name the from the lake, Dhwara samudhra which means entrance from ocean. The two nandi bull statues which are on the side of the Hoysaleshwara temple are monolithic. soap stone or Chloritic Schist was used for the construction of these temples. However a number of sculptures in the temple are destructed by invaders. So the temple is incomplete. Halebid means ruined city. There is an archeological museum in the temple complex.

The Hoysaleswara temple, dating back to the 1121 C.E., is astounding for its wealth of sculptural details. The walls of the temple are covered with an endless variety of depictions from Hindu mythology, animals, birds and Shilabalikas or dancing figures. Yet no two sculptures of the temple are the same. This magnificent temple guarded by a Nandi Bull was never completed, despite 86 years of labour. The Jain basadi nearby are equally rich in sculptural detail. Belur and Halebid are 222 and 216 km from Bangalore, respectively. This temple is now being proposed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hotels, Boarding, Lodging & Accomodation in Halebidu

Sightseeing in Halebidu Karnataka

The Jain Temples at Basadi Halli are among the popular sightseeing attractions of the region. Hoysaleswara Temple, one of the major religious centres in the Hassan District of Karnataka, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Chennakesava Temple is one of the finest testaments constructed using soft soapstone. Kedareshwara Temple is one of the popular religious shrines of the region that depicts Chalukyan style of architecture. The Archaeological Museum is among the chief sightseeing attractions featuring several articles of historical importance. Yagachi Dam is one of the popular tourist attractions lying at a distance of about 10 km from the centre of Belur. Shravanabelagola Temple is one of the chief pilgrim centres of Jains situated atop a hillock at an altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level. The Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the chief attractions among wildlife enthusiasts. Shantaleswara Temple is one of the major attractions of the destination, where several idols are placed next to each other. About 1 km from the historic Halebid is the beautiful Basti hillside dotted with black stone pillared Jain temples, better known as Basdi Halli.

Temples in Halebidu

Halebidu is located in Hassan district in Karnataka. Ketumalla, this temple was built during 1121 A.D and attributed to Vishnuvardhana and queen Shantala Devi.