HOYSALA TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE By Ar. Lily RoyHOYSALA RULERS eis the bui ling style developed under the rule of the Hoysalas between 11th and 14th century and is mostly concentrated in southern Karnataka. ‘During their reign, the Hoysalas built more than 1500 temples all across their empire of which only a litle over 100 survive today. ‘Their capital was Belur which was later shifted to Halebidu. (Chalukya's Hoysala were famous for building huge breath taking temples all along Belur and Halebidu. Some famous temples are “Hoysaleswara (Lord of the Hoysalas) Temple : At Halebid, Karnataka, and built- in dark schist stone by a Hoysala king in AD 1150. “Keshava Temple: At Somnathpura, Kamataka and was built around AD 1268 under Narasimha I. Chennakesava Temple : At Belur, Hassan district of Karnataka built by ‘Vishnuvardhana BRECENTED WHT AR LILY ROY HOYSALA ARCHITECTURE. Hoysala Empire Map (1026-1343 CE)CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HOYSALA TEMPLES ‘+ Hoysala temples are sometimes called hybrid or Fésara as their ‘unique style seems neither completely Dravida nor Nagara, but somewhere in between, *+ The temples, instead of consisting ofa simple inner chamber with ts pillared hall, contain multiple shrines grouped around a central pillared hall and laid out inthe shape of an iaticately- designed star + The most characteristic feature of these temples is that they grow extremely complex. with so many projecting famgles emerging from the previously straightforward. square temple, that the plan of these temples starts looking like a star and is thus known asa stellate plan, ‘+ The Vimanas are either stellate, semi-stellate or orthogonal ia Plan. Each temple is supported by a low-pyramidal tower, which is often surmounted by a vase-shaped amameat + The Hoysala temples have complicated plans, which may be polygonal or star-shaped with numerous angled projections. + The carved surfices are executed with remarkable precision, usually ia soapstone ‘+The columns are lathe-urmed or are mmlti-Fceted.10. a1 Hoysala temples are star-shaped. ‘The temples have a tower (sikhara) above the sanctum (Garbhagriha). This tower Is In the form of a pyramid. Hoysala temples are constructed on a, raised platform (jagati) of 4 to 5 feet. The walls ofthe basement are covered with stone carvings. Just above the platform, space is left all around the temple, to do pradakshina of the temple, which is called Pradakshina-path. ‘The temples have carved stone windows with apertures and the walls are covered with ‘ornamental sculptures, “The cutter walle of the templos have stone earvings The hattem nition enneite of ‘ow of elephants, horses, flower designs, swans, stories from the epics and puranas, The doorways of the temples have beautiful carvings in stone and a pair of ‘Dwarapalakas stand on either side. ‘The centre ofthe ceiling of the hall has intricate carvings of Bhuvaneshwari. Above the pillars, on the brackets stand the statues of dancing its in different poses. Hoysala temples have been classified as per the number of cells (Kutas) €.9,, One cell (ekakuta) temples to five cells (panchakuta) temples. ‘The sanctus (Garbhagriha) are small and simple square chambers, ‘Some temples have enormous gopuram which are tall, elaborately ommamented, and carved entryways that are pyramidal in shape.Measures 443.5 1X 396 f The temple is a Ekakota vimana design (single shrine) of 10.5 m X 10.5 m size It combines laments of North Indian Nagara and South Indian Kammata syle architecte. Initalyhe temple and platform were without walls and the platform surounded an pea mantapa, following the contour of the temple. Later walls and stone screens were added, creating an enclosed vestibule and mantapa, ‘The temple is built on a jagati with a wide walking space for ciscumambulation (pradakshina-patha), ‘There is one flight of steps leading tothe jagat and another flight of steps into the mantapa ‘The temple has three entrances and their doorways have decorated sculpures called dvarapalaka (doorkeepers) on either side ‘Tho central hall (navaranga) was originally open on all sides except the west where the sanctum is, but al sices were later closed with pesfratea sereens. The hall has carved pillars with a large domed ceiling inthe center. ‘The navaranga in Kesava temple at Belur is the largest of any Hoysala temple, is of triratha diamond shaped layout. “Two main sthambha (pillars) are found inthe temple complex. The pillar facing tbe main temple, the Garuda (eagle) sthambha was erected in the Vijayanagar period while the pillar on the right, the Deepa sthambha (pillar with lamp) dates ffom the Heysala period ‘The complex also has a kalyam-mandapa in the southeast comer for ceremonies. It was added in the 17th century. ‘A granary for storing food reserves is found in the northwest comer ofthe complex. There is smaller northern gate to the complex, near which is a pakasale or community kitchen bull ia the 13th century. A stepped water tank, called Kalyan! or Vasudeva-sarovara in inscriptions is found ia the ‘northeast comer with two stone elephants oa its side. “ GopuramHOYSALA ARCHIT [BANDS OF CARVINGS ON ONE SIDE OF THE (CIRCUMAMBULATORY PLATFORM. ANDALTEMPLE (WATER TANKHOYSALA ARCHITECTURE. HOYSALESHWAR TEMPLE, HALEBID + Hoysaleswara Temple, also referred simply as the Halebidu temple, is a 12th-century temple dedicated to Shiva. + The temple was built on the banks of a large man-made lake + The Hoysaleswara temple.is a twin-temple, or dvikuta vimana (plan with two shrines and two superstructures). ate a BRECENTED WY! AR LILY ROYHOYSALA ARCHITECTURE. HOYSALESHWAR TEMPLE, HALEBID ‘The two temples are of the same size, and their sanctums open to the east, facing The sanctum of the "Hoysaleswara’ (the queen, Shantala Devi) both have a Shiva linga Outside on the east side of the main temples are two smaller shrines, each with seated Nandi To the east of the southern Nandi shrine is a smaller attached Surya shrine, where there is a7 feet (2.1 m) tall Surya statue facing the Nandi and the sanctum. The two sanctums are next 10 each other in a north-south snment, both face east, and each have in front a mandapa ‘The temple had towers oa top of each sanctum, but they are now missing. The temple complex as a whole is placed on a jagati the king) and the other for shantaleswara” BRECENTED WIT AR’ LiLy RoyHOYSALESHWAR TEMPLE, HALEBID Artwork on the outer walls of the temple are in bands, 1: marching playful elephants; 2: lions; 3: thin miniature scroll; 4: horsemen in different postures; 5: thin miniature scroll; 6: friezes narrating legends from the Hindu texts: 7: makaras; 8: hamsa and peacocks; 9: professionals, daily life of people alternately standing and sitting; 10: mythical creatures, festivals, ceremonies. coer rr reHOYSALA ARCHITECTURE KESHAVA TEMPLE, SOMNATHPUR BRECENTED WT AR’ LILY BOY‘The omate temple is a model illustration of the Hoysala architecture. The temple is enclosed in a courtyard with a pillared corridor of small shrines (damaged), The main temple in the centre is on a high star-shaped platfonm with three symmetrical sanctums (garbha-griha), set in a square matrix (89' x 891 orieated along the east-west and north-south axes. The sanctums share a common community hall (sabha-mandapa) with many pillars. The outer walls, the inner walls, the pillars and the ceiling of the temple are intricately carved with theological iconography of Hinduism. ‘The main temple is built on a jagat, which symbolizes worldly platform. It ie about 3 feet high, star-shaped and hae stone step. ‘The platform around the temple serves as the circumamibulation passage. ‘A small square is atthe entrance, the largest square in the middle, and a rectangle facing the three eanctum (garbha griya), all supported by intricately carved pillars. ‘The main hall opens to each sanctum through a small square shaped puja mandaps, The three sanctums house Keshava (image lost), Janardhana and Venugopala Above each of these sanctum rise the 16 pointed star chaped North Indian style tower (shikara) ‘The mandapa (hal) is supported by lathe turned pillars. Between pillars, the ceiling is domical and intricately decorated. These decorations could include multi-petalled loruses, banana bud motifs based on stepped ponds and snake like nanta) knots (symbolising eternity. Inside the temple, each vimana has a vestibule that connects it to the main rectangular mantapa (hall).KESHAVA TEMPLE, SOMNATHPUR Cesta nese ede Mente Tchr. Keva oe ihn th a, ‘erm tala To