Hoyasaleshwara temple - Halebidu , Hasan district, Karnataka.

 A temple believed to be built in 12 -13th century, this  Hoysala monument is amazing .Situated in Hasan district of Karnataka this temple will offer a delightful experience to any tourist.

 This temple is known as Hoysaleshwara temple , houses Shivlinga known as  Hoysaleshwara. This temple has excellent ornate work in stone. Each stone is  cut and carved to perfection and is difficult to believe how one can create such intricate work in stone. Soap stones are used to create excellent art pieces.One can easily spend a day or two here enjoying the beautiful carvings .

Halebidu means ruined city and got its  name as it was ransacked twice during the invasion of  Malik Gafur. . Though the spire  of the temple is missing ,it is still  magnificent and just stands as a reminder of past glory.
Hoysaleswara shrine is situated near to the main entrance on the right side and  bang opposite outside one can see the gigantic Nandi  a monolithic structure with a fine gleam . Difficult to believe how these were carved with smooth finish in days of yore.

The statues in various poses, the ornaments they wear are mesmerizing. No two statues are alike and one can just imagine the creativity and vision of the creator.

There are also statues of Jain monks  here.

One can use the help of a guide here to get detailed description of monument and the stories associated with each statue here. This temple is under ASI.

More details  here

This temple is 149 Kilometers from Mysore.
Halebidu is just 25-30 K.ms from Hasan.
Will be sharing some more pictures in my next post.