Hoysala Temples Declared World Heritage Sites
Source: The Hindu
GS I: Art & Culture
Overview
- Hoysala Temples
Why in the News?
The Hoysala temples located in Belur, Halebid, and Somanathapur in Karnataka, India, have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- This designation is expected to enhance global recognition and potentially increase international tourism to these historic sites.
Hoysala Temples
Architectural Significance
- The Hoysala temples are known for their architectural eclecticism, creative genius, and symbolic significance.
- They represent outstanding sacred architecture, and their inscription as UNESCO World Heritage Sites is an honor for India and the global heritage community.
About Chennakeswara Temple
- The Garbhagriha is stellar shaped with zigzag walls making 24 forms of Lord Vishnu looking different at all times of the day due to light and shade effect.
- Shantaladevi, the queen of King Vishnuvardhana, is represented in Darpana Sundari (lady with the mirror) sculpture and bracket figures of madanikas (celestial nymps) on the ceiling.
- A Gravity pillar is carved out of a single rock and stands in its own weight and a piece of paper can be swiped across it.
- Temples of Kappe Chennigaraya, Soumyanayaki, Andal, and other Vaishnava manifestations, surround the main temple.
About the Hoysaleswara Temple:
- Situated on the banks of Dwarasamudra tank in Halebidu (Hassan district).
- Twin-shrine temple, perhaps the largest Shiva temple built by Hoysala kings.
- Poised on a star-shaped base that consists 8 rows of friezes carved with elephants, lions, horses, and floral scrolls.
- The outer walls have intricately carved Hindu deities, sages, stylized animals, birds and friezes depicting the life of Hoysala kings.
- Imagery from epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavad Gita adorn the outer walls with highly ornate temple doorways.
- The Nandimantapa with a decorated Nandi statue is positioned right in front of the temple.
- The exquisite carvings in interiors of the temple have highly polished lathe-turned pillars.
About the Keshava Temple
- It is a Vaishnava temple
- Built on the banks of River Kaveri at Somanathapura.
- It was consecrated in 1258 CE by Somanatha Dandanayaka who was a general of King Narasimha III.
- It is enclosed in a walled courtyard with a mahadvara (major gate) and tall carved soapstone pillars.
- Soapstone is a green-grey chloritic schist material that is soft in quarry but hardens when exposed to the air.
- There are inscription stones in old Kannada, with Hindu iconography and miniature reliefs of Keshava, Janardhana, and Venugopala.
- Shrines are constructed in 64 corridors with Vedic, Puranic and Jain deities with rooms for pilgrims.
- The temple is built on a star-shaped jagati (raised platform), with stone steps at its eastern end for the visitors.
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