19th September 2023 (8 Topics)
‘The Sacred Ensembles’ of the Hoysala
Context
Recently, the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas, which includes three temples in Karnataka, has been inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
- With this several other sites has also been nominated to get included in the list.
About the recent nominations:
- At the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the UNESCO has released a tentative list of sites.
- The Hoysala Temples will be India’s 42nd UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Rabindranath Tagore’s Santiniketan, the university town in West Bengal, was also included as a world heritage site.
The Hoysala Temples:
- The Hoysala Temples, built in the 12th and 13 centuries by the Hoysala kings, are dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu.
- The three temples include;
- The Chennakeshava temple, the main temple in the complex at Belur (Hassan district), located at the centre of the traditional settlement
- The Hoysaleswara Temple on the banks of Dwarasamudra tank in Halebidu (Hassan district), and
- The Keshava Temple at the centre of Somanathapura village (Mysore district).
| Previously, two other groups of monuments of Karnataka at Hampi (1986) and Pattadakal (1987) along with the Ecological hotspot Western Ghats (2012) had the coveted status form UNESCO from the State. |
- The excellence of the sculptural art underpins the artistic achievement of these temple complexes, which represent a significant stage in development of Hindi architecture.
Hoysala Kingdom:
- The Hoysala rulers ruled over parts of Southern India from the parts of Southern India from the 11th Century to the 14th Century.
|
Hoysala Empire |
Details |
|
Area of Rule |
Karnataka and Kaveri delta in present-day Tamil Nadu. |
|
Time Period |
Between the 10th and the 14thcenturies. |
|
Preceded by |
Western Chalukyas |
|
Succeeded by |
Vijaynagara Empire |
|
Founder |
Nripakama II/Sala |
|
Most important ruler |
Bittaga Vishnuvardhana. Annexed Chola province of Gangawadi.Defeated Chalukya Vikramaditya VI |
|
Capital |
Initially Belur. Later- Halebidu |
|
Administration |
Divided into provinces: Nadu, Vishaya, Kampana and Desha |
|
Remarkable for |
Art, Architecture, and Religion. Hoysala Architecture |
|
Literature |
Kannada and Sanskrit. |
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Important Temples |
Chennakeshava Temple, Belur; the Hoysaleswara Temple, Halebidu; Chennakesava Temple |
|
Architecture |
Hybrid or vesara style |
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Learning Schools |
Ghatikas |
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Religion |
Jainism, Vaishnavism and Lingayatism |
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Contemporary |
Basava, Madhvacharya and Ramanuja in Karnataka |
|
Rajaditya |
Mathematician who wrote Vyavaharaganita and Lilavati during Vishnuvardhana’s reign |
|
Last Ruler |
Veera Ballala III |
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