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TRAVEL
By Shweta Mishra
20 March, 2018
The celebration of Indian culture
Are you an Indian Heritage lover and crave for the cultural feast? Then attending the Hoysala Mahotsava held at the temples in Belur and Halebid is perfect to calm your cultural madness. Every year during the months of March and April, artists and dancers from different parts of India come to participate in this cultural extravaganza. Magnificent Hoysala era temples form the perfect settings for this beautiful festival of Karnataka. The hamlets of Belur and Halebid come alive with the enchanting performances and glitter of lamps.
Beautiful Hoysala Architecture
This festival is dedicated to the Hoysala Dynasty which ruled the Southern part of India from 11th to 14th centuries. During this period many temples were built and Hoysala architecture became one of the best examples of the style in the architecture world. Hoysala Mahotsava is a great opportunity for the art lovers and tourists to visit the temples and see the craftsmanship of medieval age. With the different forms of dance and music, artists try to keep the history alive.
Chennakesava Temple
In Karnataka’s Hassan district Belur and Halebid towns are famous for its beautiful temples made during the rule of Hoysala Empire. In the 12th century, the Chennakesava temple at Belur was built on orders of the Hoysala king to commemorate an important victory over the Cholas. It took 103 years to build this temple. Temples are carved with scripts of Hindu mythology. They mostly build their temples on 2 deities including Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The Shiva temple, Hoysaleswara in Halebid is unique and famous for its two shrines in the Linga form and gigantic figures of Nandi.
Enjoy the classical dance
During the festival, various dance, music, and art activities are conducted in the town of Belur and Halebid. People from all over the country come here to perform. It is a place where veteran to new talents all can show their music and dance abilities. Hoysala festival is getting popular among tourists as it is a great way to celebrate our rich history. The beautiful Hoysala temples form the perfect settings as the dancers take to the stage. Dancers perform in the best and great way wearing beautiful dresses along with ornaments. People of Karnataka take great pride in celebrating this event and work really hard to make it a success.
Amazing Hoysala architecture
In ancient times, Halebid was known as Dwarasamudra (gateway to the seas) and was the capital of Hoysala Empire. The Hoysalas ruled this city for about 150 years but invaders robbed the city of its treasures, leaving behind the ruins of once magnificent Shiva temple. The Hoysala’s then shifted their capital to Belur. Belur is known as Dakshina Varanasi for its beautiful temples. In 2017 Channakeshava temple celebrated 900 years of its existence.Though Belur and Halebid are 16 km away they are always referred as Belur and Halebid as they are one. Interestingly both are now on the list of proposed World Heritage site of UNESCO.
Celebrating History
This Festival of dance is a must visit if you are looking for spiritual solace and want to enjoy the rich culture of India. Don’t forget to buy some amazing terracotta items and panchaloha statues.
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