Halebidu Town has one of the finest Indian Sculptural Heritage which you should not miss to visit. Halebidu is located in Hassan District of Karnataka, India which was the capital of the Hoysala Empire in the 12th century. Halebidu means “old capital” because it was damaged, ransacked and looted by Islamic forces. When in Halebidu you should not miss visiting Hoysaleswara temple.
The Hoysaleswara temple is a twin-temple which has Hoysaleswara and Santaleswara Shiva Lingas. It also has two Nandi shrines outside which has faced the respective Shiva Lingas inside, as shown below :
The Hoysaleswara temple is notable for its sculptures, iconography, and history, few of them can be seen below :
The temple has four entrances, one which is on the northern side is normally used as the main entry which is close to the parking lot. There is one entry on the south side and two on the east side where the Nandi was seen.
The outer wall has images which narrate Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata Purana etc. Which includes Court Scene, Dancers, Krishna Lila, Hanuman giving ring to Sita, Natraj in Tandav Dance etc…
How to Reach Halebidu From Bangalore
It is 30 Kms from Hassan City and around 210 Kms from Bangalore. To travel to Halebidu from Bangalore you need to visit Hassan City either by Bus, Train or a Car and then there are a lot of local transports which will take you to the Hoysaleswara temple.
Best Time to Travel Halebidu
The best time to travel Halebidu is from November to March which is considerably cooler than other months.
Halebidu Temple Timings
The temple is open from 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM but do try to visit before sunset. The museum timings are from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM which has an entry fee. In the afternoon it becomes too crowded so do try to visit early mornings.
Halebidu Entry Fee
There is no entry fee to visit the temple though to visit the Museum you need to get a ticket of Rs. 5.
Photography in Halebidu
Photography is allowed in the temple premises but it is prohibited in Museum.
