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1. Hoysala Temples
(Helebid)
B.A. III
Semester IV
Dr.Virag Sontakke
Assistant Professor
A.I.H.C. & Archaeology
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

2. Hoysala Temple
(Helebid)

3. Introduction
• The Hoysalas were successors of Chalukyas.
• The Hoysala period (1026 CE – 1343 CE) was marked by
illustrious achievements in Temple architecture, art, and culture.
• The nucleus of this activity lay in the Mysore, Halebidu, Hassan
district of Karnataka.
• The most remarkable accomplishment of this era lies,
undoubtedly, in the field of architecture.
• For 200 years (1100-1300 CE) Hoysala’s constructed several
temples.
• Temples of Hoysala are not only significant for their
architectural value but also important for sculptural beauty.
• Their architectural style known as Later Chalukya Style or
Hoysala style.

4. Hoysala Temples, Hasan

5. Features of Hoysala style
1. Plan of the temple: Stellate plan
2. Multiple Girbhgruha: 2,3, &4
3. Constructed on high plinth: reached by steps (9-10 feet),
horizontal bands
4. No pradakshinapath: outer plinth
5. Pillars: lathe technique (mechanically made)
6. Sculptures on pillar brackets: मदनिकाएँ
7. Shikhra : not tall, enormously decorated
8. Outer decoration on wall: Extremely ornate, windows, scuptures
9. Situated in Prakara
10. More focus upon art & decoration

7. Basic features of the Hoysala Temple
• Stellate plan
• Multiple Shrine, (one to five )
1. Garbhagriha: कोष्ठ
2. Antarala (vestibule)
3. Mandapa (a pillared hall known as the navaranga):
नवरंग
4. In few temples Mukhamandapa also structured
• Intricate carving : work of Ivory, Sandalwood,
Goldsmith, silver filigree
• Use of Greenish or bluish-black chloritic schist
(soapstone) which is much finer grains. Helpful for
intricate carving and decoration

8. Basic Elements of the Hoysala Temple
• Sometimes, the Hoysala temple consisted of double, triple,
quadruple and even quintuple garbhagriha.
• Generally the plinth plan was star-shaped,
• The typical Hoysala temple rested on a platform or jagati
which was harmonious with star-shaped nature of the
constructions.
• This feature was of immense architectural value for it gave
some sense of height to the temple
• Mandapa, Pillared hall, Navranga
• Multiple entrances from the platform into the Navranga.
• Nandi mandapa containing a large stone bull.
• Basically situated outside the building and opposite to
each shrine on the east.

9. On the adhisthana
number of bands
displaying animate
sculptured designs,
which ran right round
the temple
1. Gajathara
2. Horsemen
3. Floral scroll
4. Kirtimukh
5. Goose (राजहंस)
6. Yuli (जलचर)

10. Pillars
• Marvel of ancient
engineering
• Technique: Lathe
turned pillars
• Regional ornate
style
• Madnika on
brackets
• Development of the
Dravidian style
• Mixture of tradition
and technology.

11. Decorative Aspect
• Ornate niches consist elaborately chiselled images
of the gods within them.
• Hoysala sculptor concentrated only on the exterior
surface by varying specific forms.
• Various god and goddesses are displayed outside
niches
• The Interior walls of the temple were generally left
undecorated.
• A vestibule to the shrine was Indicated by the
Sukanasi (a parrots beak) projection at the front of
the shikhara.

13. Noteworthy temples
1. Channa Keshav Temple
2. Hoysalesvara Temple at Halebid

14. Channa Keshav Temple

15. Channa Keshav Temple
• Channa Keshav Temple situated in Belur of Hasan District.
• Constructed in 1117 CE. (Percy Brown)
• Build by Vishnuvardhan to commemorates the Victory over Chola
• Deity called Vijay Narayan, Channa Keshav Temple: handsome Kesava ,
contemporary to Ramanuja.
• Enclosed in Prakara
• Total 118 inscriptions found dated between 1117 CE to the 18th century.
• It was repeatedly damaged and plundered during wars, repeatedly rebuilt
and repaired over its history.
• The temple was raided, damaged and its gateway was burnt down in a raid
by a Muslim general Salar and his army working for Muhammed bin
Tughlaq (1324-1351 CE)
• The temple was repaired by the later dynasties
• The complex has a number of shrines.

16. 1. Garbhgriha
2. Antarala
3. Mandapa
4. Gopuram

17. Basic elements
• Channa Keshav Temple temple is a ekakuta style.
• Size of the temple of 10.5 m by 10.5 m size.
• Stands on high ornamental Jagati which is open and
wide
• It also act as circumambulatory path around the
sanctum.
• Flight of steps leading to the Jagati and
• The Jagati (platform) follows the square design of
the temple mandapa and the star shape of the shrine.
• Also another flight of steps into the mandapa.
• Intricate and abundant artwork both on the outside and
inside the temple.

18. Mandapa (navaranga)
• Mandapa has entry from 3 sides (North,
south, East)
• The Mandapa has forty eight pillars.
• Doorways of Mandapa are decorated
with dvarapalaka on either side.
• Initially porch like appearance
• Later Ballal II added pierced stone
windows
• 40 Madnikas (female sculptures) are
shown in pillar Brackets
• The Madnikas are in various poses like
dancing, acting posture, musicians,
dressing, doing make up, a woman with
a parrot, dressing hair etc.
• The navaranga in Kesava temple is the
largest of any Hoysala temple.

20. Garbhagriha
• The mandapa leads to the Garbhagriha through antarala.
• Decorated doarway
• Garbhagriha door flanked by Dwarapala,
• An image of Keshava, stands on a 3 feet high platform
situated inside the Garbhagriha .
• The temple had a Shikhara, which was damaged and
destroyed

21. Pillars
• Pillars are elaborately carved and
each has different design.
• The navaranga hall has 48 pillars.
• Except the central four all others
are elaborately carved (added
later to support the
superstructure).
• Narsimha Pillar and Mohini
Pillars are significant

22. Outer Decoration
• Elaborately Carved
• The bottom band is of
elephants
• Above it is an plain layer,
followed by cornice work
with a periodic lion face
• Over that a row of horsemen
in various riding positions
• Small figurines is a fifth band
(female, dancers and
Musicians)
• The bands above pilasters are
carved with females and
couples, scenes of the epic
Ramayana and Mahabharata,
eroticism and sexual scenes,
daily activities of people,

23. Sculptures
• The temple consist 80
large icons around the
temple
1. Vishnu 32
2. Avatar 9
3. Shiva 4
4. Surya 4
5. Durga 5
6. Others

31. Hoysalesvara Temple
at Halebid

32. Hoysalesvara Temple at Halebid
• Hoysalesvara Temple is situated in a small town Halebid.
• It is 30 km from Hassan and 210 km from Bangalore, in
Hasan district.
• It is intact and situated the capital of the Hoysala empire.
• This is largest monument and perhaps the greatest ever
constructed in Dwarasamudra.
• It is rightly be regarded as a veritable museum of
sculpture; with its thousands of large and small carved
figures.
• These figures depict the condition of art and life during
the reign of the Hoysalas.
• This temple is the largest existing structure of the Hoysala
style.

34. Backdrop
• Its construction started around 1121 CE and was
complete in 1160 CE.
• Temple dedicated to Shiva
• The temple complex as a whole is placed on a Jagati
(15’ wide).
• Dwikuta vimana (plan of twin shrines and two
superstructures)
• Twin Garbhgiha dedicated to the Hoysalesvara and
Santalesvara Lingas (north-south).
• The two temples are of the same size, and their
sanctums open to the east,
• Front of the temple has two separate Nandi Mandapa

35. Hoysalesvara
Santalesvara

36. separate Nandi Mandapa

37. Elements
The two sanctums are next to each other in a north-south alignment
1. Cruciform on Plan (four entrances)
2. Garbhagriha (twin)
3. Antaral (suknasi)
4. Mandap (Navrang) attachment
5. Nandi Mandap
6. Share joint platform (15 feet high)
7. No Pradakshina Path
8. Entry from Hoysalesvara Temple
9. Main temple, connected by stone stairs
10. Shikhra now lost must have followed the star shape design
11. Shuknasika over the Antarala (missing)

38. Narrow passage, pillars situated close to each other, pillars are decorated with मदनिका

40. • Temple situated on a high platform
• Both Garbhagriha are of equal size.
• Has three niches on the north, west and south
interior and exterier
• The entrance are flanked by dwarapala
• Temple built of greyish soapstone
• It had an open Mandapa, the mantapa was
closed by Hoysala king Narasimha I.
• The interior walls of the temple are quite plain
compared to the outer wall,
• Their outer walls are star-shaped
• The pillars are ornate have
the Madnikas sculptures in their pillar brackets.
• Corresponding to these can be seen tall two-
storeyed towered niches on the exterior.
• Dimensions: 112’ length, 100’ width
• 4 gateway
• Small shrines at the
entrance
• अष्टभद्र गभभगृह

41. Art
• The artwork in Hoysaleswara temple is damaged though largely
intact.
• Outer walls of the temple are intricately carved.
• Base of the temple consist of numerous bands of elephants, lions,
scrolls and miniature dancers, horses, scrolls, scenes from epics and
Puranas.
• The outer walls of the Hoysaleswara temple encompasses 340 large
reliefs
• Sculptures of Gods, men and ornamental designs cover almost every
square foot of space on its outer walls.
• According to S. Settar “It is a manual of Hindu iconography",
• Each masterpiece signed by the the creator.
• Fine grained chloritic schist used for sculptural art

42. 1: Elephants;
2: lions;
3: thin miniature scroll;
4: horsemen in
different postures;
5: thin miniature scroll;
6: friezes narrating
legends;
7: makaras;
8: Swan and peacocks;
9: Daily life of people
alternately standing and
sitting;
10: mythical creatures,
festivals, ceremonies;
11: mithuna (eroticism,
sex), various
occupations, some
mythical scenes;
12: large image panels
(deities, spiritual stories
from Hindu texts)

43. • Elephant
• Lions
• Floral motifs
• Swan
• Geometrical decoration
• Horses

44. Harihar
Subject of Sculptures
1. Shiva: as Umamahesvara, as
Nataraja and destroyer of
various demons, Dakshinamurti ,
Bhairava
2. Shakti: Durga,
Mahishasuramardini, Kali and
others
3. Vishnu: Various Avtara
4. Harihara:
5. Ganesha:
6. Kartikeya:
7. Brahma:
8. Saraswati:
9. Indra,
10.Surya and others
11.Etc.

45. Dwarpala

47. • Outer walls appears like a sculptural gallery
• Extensively ornate
• Depicted varies god and goddesses

50. Name of Artists
1. Manibalaki,
2. Mabala,
3. Ballana,
4. Bochana,
5. Ketana,
6. Bama,
7. Balaki and
8. Revoja etc.

51. • These temple are the beauty of South India.
• Percy Brown "supreme climax of Indian architecture"
• These are majestic and worthy of being the greatest ever by
Hoysala.
• Perfect blend of art and architecture
• Great technical skill has been displayed by the sculptor.
• Hoysala temple is remarkable for its architecture, sculptures,
reliefs, friezes as well its iconography, inscriptions and history.
• It also shows the theological perspectives of Hoysala Empire rule.
Conclusion