Belur and Halebid - Unique Temples

The temples of Belur and Halebid built by the Hoysala kings are unique. Someone has written that “the Hoysala temples are to South Indian architecture, what the Parthenon is to Greece and the Pyramids to Egypt”. 

The Hoysala kings were great temple builders. During their rule (1000 AD to 1346 AD), 1,500 temples were built in 958 locations. 

History 

Today, Belur and Halebid are two insignificant towns 16 km apart in Karnataka (South India). But during the 11th to 14th centuries, these two towns were the glorious capitals of the Hoysala kings, who came to power around 1000 AD after defeating the Chalukya kings. 

The Hoysala kings were able rulers and ruled for almost three and a half centuries. 

Belur, located on the banks of the River Yagachi, was the original capital of the Hoysala kings. The capital was shifted to Halebid (formerly known as Dwara Samudram (Gateway to the Ocean). 

But Muslim armies invaded Halebid in 1311 AD and again in 1327 AD razing the grand capital into shambles. The capital was shifted back to Belur.