Hoysala Traveler
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ullavaru shivalaya maaduvaru naanena maadali badavanayya, enna kaale kamba dehave degula shirave honna kalashavayya Koodala Sangama Deva kelayya sthavarakkalivuntu jangamakalivilla The rich will make temples for Shiva. What shall I, a poor man, do? My legs are pillars, The body the shrine, HOYSALA The head a cupola of gold. Listen, O lord of the meeting rivers, Things standing shall fall, But the moving ever shall stay. TRAVELER Basavanna’s Vachanas (1134 – 1196 A.D) Basava (also known as Basaveshwara) was a philosopher and a radical social reformer. A true visionary with ideas ahead of his time, he envisioned a society that ourished enriching one and all. Many great yogis and mystics of the time joined his movement enriching it with the essence of divine experience in the form Published by Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology, of Vachanas (rational hymns in Kannada) Bangalore that gave a rational view to human living. Distributed by Karnataka Tourism Derpartment Copywright Designed by Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology, Bangalore Original book concept devised by Jyoti Hosagraha, UNESCO Production by KolorKode, Bangalore, India Chennakeshava Temple Hoysala Kotte The temple, the religious and cultural center stood at the heart of a Hoysala Heritage Region town. A Fort wall or Kotte encircle the town as protection from invasion. The Cultural Heritage of the Hoysala The Hoysala Legend 04 rulers is primarily in the settlements and Reign and Extent 06 towns in and around Belur and Halebeedu of the Empire in Karnataka. Back in the 12 century, Architechture 08 a traveler passing through the region, Literature 18 could easily spot the imposing gopuram Life in the Hoysala 19 (monumental tower) of the temple on its Kingdom raised platform. Over time, the towns developed irrationally. Although they no longer fulfil their original Pette purpose, the kotte, pette, kere design A broad street, the Rajabeedi can still be found amidst hoardings and started from the temple ended at telephone towers. In this book the Kotte Pette, the commercial area. Today section covers the Hoysala art, history this area has shops, eateries and and literature. For an understanding of souvenir stores . local culture and Vernacular Architecture refer to pette. Landscape and geography is Vernacular Architechture 21 covered under Kere Regional Architecture 25 Local culture 26 Food and Drinks 28 Festivals 30 Kere Huge tanks called Keres were built to store water. There are usually two water bodies close to the temple. A pushkarani or well, located within the temple premises and a Kere outside. Stretches of cultivated fields surround the lake. Water System 33 Landscape and Geography 36 Resources 39 Agriculture 39 The Hoysala Legend The Hoysalas left behind an interesting account of their origins in their inscriptions. Angadi in Mudigere taluk, Chikmagalur district is famous as the birthplace of the Hoysala dynasty. In a temple of goddess Vasantika, a jain monk by the name of Jainadatta Muni, was doing penance and at that stage a tiger came upon him. Immediately the Muni directed his disciple Sala to slay the tiger, with the word “hoy” which in Hale Kannada (Old Kannada means “strike” Accordingly the disciple killed the tiger. He was blessed by the sage and named as Hoysala.The legend may have come into existence or gained popularity after King Vishnuvardhana’s victory over the Cholas at Talakad as the Hoysala emblem depicts the fight between the mythical Sala and a tiger, the emblem of the Cholas. Pillars of Chennakeshvara Temple which are a part of Kote They rapidly rose to political eminence towards the beginning of the 12th century. Finally they overthrew the imperial suzerains and became the most dominant power of south India. They ruled with great glory up to the fourteenth century that is nearly three hundred and fifty years. The Hoysala emblem Kotte The Hoysala Legend Reign and Extent of the Empire Architechture Literature Life in the Hoysala Kingdom 4 5 Reign & Extent of the Empire The Hoysalas began as subordinate chiefs under the Chalukyas of Kalyan. At the time the two major powers that dominated south India were the cholas in Extent of the Hoysala Empire (10th – 14th century). Shift of capital from Belur to Halebeedu. the east and the Chalukyas in the west. Extent of Chalukya Empire (6th – 12th century) Extent of Chola Empire (until 13th century) The Hoysalas empire extended from Tungabhadra River in the north, him to surrender. As he refused war began. Ganagaraja began destroying up to the Vaigi River and Madurai in the south and from Kanchi, Kurnool the Chola army like a tiger. The chola army surrendered and Adiyama fled in the east, up to Tulu countries (North Kannada and South Kannada) to Kanchi. and Wainad in the west. They established a strong state and they extended their power over parts of southern and coastal Karnataka and parts of King Vishnuvardhana started the construction of the Chennakeshvara Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. temple at Belur in 1117 CE in commemoration of this victory. In 1310, Ala-ud-Din Khilji, second ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, invaded the King Vishnuvardhana is said to be the real founder of the Hoysala empire. Hoysala empire, defeated and took prisoner the Hoysala ruler, looted He liberated South India from the Chola rule. He ascended the throne in and ransacked the capital city of Dvarasamudra (Halebeedu). However, a 1111 CE. He made necessary defensive changes and shifted the capital subsequent Hoysala King, Narasimha rebuilt the city. However, in 1326, from Belur to Halebid. The conquest of Talakad is one of Vishnuvardhanas Muhammad bin Tughlaq of the Delhi Sultanate invaded the Hoysala momentous achievements. After marching triumphantly to Gangavadi the capital and this time completely demolished it. Halebeedu today is referred Hoysala general sent an ultimatum to the Chola officer, Adiyama asking to as the ruined city. 6 7 Architecture The Temples built between 1050 to 1300 A.D. are artistically distinct from their predecessors. There is marked departure from the simpler older temples of the 7th century to a more elaborate and ornate style made rith sandstone There is marked departure from the simpler older temples of the 7th century, to a more elaborate and ornate style made possible by the discovery of a new building material of a much finer grain than sandstone. This material was soapstone ‘balapada kallu ‘(called chloritic schist by geologists) which is found in abundance in the Mysore state. It is close textured and lends itself to intricate sculpture. Gopuram outside Channakeshvara Temple The basic scheme of the typical hoysala temple is not very different from the other known types in South India. The cubical form of the cell of the earlier structures gave way to a star shaped plan, thus lengthening the total wall space on the exterior and giving the sculptor added scope for ornamentation. Chennakeshava Temple- Belur The temples were located in a compound or a temple had up to four garbagriha or shrines within the main structure. A navaranga was usually The construction of this finely carved temple, included as a place for people to gather and participate in cultural started by King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE took programs such as music and dance performances, story-telling from 103 years to build. It was completed by his grandson, mythology, and religious discourses. Temple dances such as Bharatnatyam Veera Ballala II. Subsequent rulers, the Vijayanagaras, flourished under the Hoysalas. At one time, some of the temples also had the Nayakas, and the Mysore Wodeyars all made devadasis, dancers who dedicated themselves to the temple. Many forms additions and alterations to the temple complex to of devotional music too, flourished. create the remarkable monument we see today. The Vijayanagara Kings added the main gopuram at the A variety of narrative and musical forms of storytelling from the epics entrance as well as some shrines and mantapas within have survived to this day. The temple sculptures depict numerous musical the temple complex. instruments and configurations of musicians. The exterior walls of the numerous temples were intricately decorated with stone sculptures and The inscriptions state that this temple was dedicated carving. The Hoysala builder’s zeal for carving obviously subordinated to Kappechannigaraya installed by Shantaladevi, the architecture to a secondary role. The Hoysalas constructed numerous favorite queen of Vishnuvardhana. This temple, is stepped wells, canals, lakes, and sluice gates. dedicated to lord Krishna an avatar of Vishnu. His statue is installed in the inner sanctuary or garbhagriha. Wall architecture that surrounds At the entrance, facing the temple stands the winged Chennakeshvara temple figure of Garuda, Lord Vishnu’s carrier. The Temple is 8 9 delicate in its filigree work, with the added attraction of bracketed figures of celestial dancers, called Madanikas and an innumerable variety of intricate pillars (Stories of bracket figures – Madanikas as told to us by the archeological survey of India guide) One of the most fabulous pillars is the Narasimha Pillar which has a repeating pattern of pillared niches running in horizontal bands around the shaft, with a tiny image enshrined in each niche In front of the shrine there is a beautiful statue of Shantala Devi, queen of King Vishnuvardhana. Over the east doorway is a projecting panel, intricately carved depicting the lion headed God Narasimha in the act of slaying the demon Hiranyakashyap. Contrary to Indian traditions, the hoysala sculptors signed their work at this temple. The walls on the railings are made of twenty perforated screens, all elaborately carved. These typical Hoysala screens remind us of the marvelously carved sandal wood and ivory screens for which the craftsman of Mysore are to this day famous. During the Muslim Invasion, the entire temple was covered in sand to disguise and protect it.