After Madikeri, I based myself in Hassan in order to visit the towns of Halebeedu and Belur, which both have magnificent Hoysala Temples. These, coupled with the Keshava Temple in Somnathpur, define super-uber-anal-artistry in the South. Sure, other people went for big. These folks went for intricacy. I spent the morning in Halebeedu, and the afternoon in Belur. Halebeedu has the Hoysaleswara Temple, which is large, with two chambers dedicated to Shiva, and with two smaller mandapams each with a large Nandi. The sheer magnitude of the carvings on the outside astound, but you are quick to notice that the temple was never finished. Plans were made, but never carried through. I also visited two other compounds in Halebeedu: the Kedareswara Temple, smaller and with no one there but a sleeping dog; the Jain basadis, three separate temples dedicated to Parswanath, Adinath, and Shantinath. Belur was quite close, only a half-hour mini-bus ride away. The Channakeshava Temple seems typical, with a large gopuram greeting you, and with many smaller temples scattered here and there in the temple grounds. The main temple is the only of the three main Hoysala sites actually in use, but it's still not quite finished. While unimpressive nearer to its base, larger and more beautiful sculptures and lintels line the upper sections. It's also quite magnificent. There, I also met a British woman from Nottingham (of Robin Hood fame) who had been getting lots of attention, especially from nosy and inappropriate Indian men. I was near here when I stepped onto the burning hot black marble and yelped out. She recognized my lack of accent, and we hit it off. She had lots of questions about Jainism, and so I misled her the best I could. We had dinner together back in Hassan, and we went our separate ways the next day.
Belur...Halebeedu...Somnathpur. Site for the Channakeshava...Hoysaleswara...Keshava Temples. Together, they make up THE finest temple work I've seen in South India, and I've seen lots of temples. So, the million dollar, or das lakh, question is...which temple is superior? The first has size on its side, and the upper work stands out as far superior. The second one has just an amazing amount of work, and the setting is really quite nice. The third is the smallest and most difficult (ie. pain-in-the-ass-est) to get to, and it's the only one that charges money for entry...and it's the winner. The Keshava Temple in Somnathpur is one-of-a-kind for a few reasons. First, it's the only finished temple. Second, it doesn't have the bother of actually being a functioning temple. Third, the fact that you have to pay to enter means that it's impeccably maintained. Fourth, the carvings on it rival both the other two sites. Fifth, the lack of people means that the site is actually peaceful. Sure, the fact that it was the first site I visited means that it was a novelty with which I compared the other two...but despite the expense and difficulty of getting there, there's no denying Somnathpur's superiority.
Next: Hyderabad...technology meets burqahs meets Indo-Saracenic architecture meets a Buddha statue.
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