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Published: March 6th 2005
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Overview of Belur
Here you can see clearly that the temple lacks its suprastructure. In the background you can see the towering gopuram We were a bit fed up with bus-rides, so we tried to catch a train from Mysore to
Hassan. Although it was not mentioned in our guidebook, we found a train immediately. Unlike the buses, the train was almost empty. We enjoyed the trip very much, preferring trains to buses anyway, since you have more space and can move around rather freely. You also see a lot from the landscape from the train, you just don't experience village scenes in a bus. To our surprise we arrived one hour earlier than they had told us, and could finally book our second overnight train, which we had not managed in Mysore. There we had queued for about two hours twice, without any outcome. Although Mysore is a relatively big city, the train station is rather miserable. But you have to book long-distance trains several days in advance (especially when they run overnight), otherwise you won't get places to sleep. In order to do so, you need several pieces of information, the most important being the train number. the booking can take place in any train station of the country, so it is rather useless to consult the local information panels, even more
Temple windows
The Hoysalas used magnificently carved windows to regulate the inflow of light into the temple so because they are written in Indian characters. We use the Internet for this information, and so far it has worked very well. For booking it would be good to know whether there are any free seats on your desired date, for this you can check the availability on a local terminal. Once this is done, keep your fingers crossed. We are only relieved when we hold the tickets in our hands.
Hassan itself is of little interest except as a base for exploring the marvelous temples of the Hoysala period. The Hoysalas who ruled a large kingdom between the rivers Krishna and Kaveri from the 11th to the 14th century, made
Belur and
Halebid their capital. Great warriors, they also patronised culture and art. The artisans were encouraged to rival each other and even sign their names on their work of art. A special stone gave the sculptors the opportunity to work with intricate detail since it is initially comparatively soft when quarried but hardens with exposure to air. The temples, built as prayers for victory in battle, are small but superbly conceived.
These two temples are built according to the same architectural principles as the one
Carved pillar
The unique Narashima pillar at the centre of the hall is particularly fine and originally could be rotated in
Somnathpur (inside a courtyard enclosed by a wall used as a cloister, set on a star-shaped base, various bands with different motives on top), but give a rather ungraceful impression because they lack the suprastructure. The most striking feature of Belur's temple, which makes it occupy a distinct place among the architectural wonders of India, is the hall. When you enter, you see hardly anything due to the reigning darkness, but once your eyes have got accustomed to the faint light, you stop to stare in wonder. These pillars are so fantastic, with so many delicately carved details that you can hardly believe your eyes. You let your eyes wander from the base to the top, where the four pillars in the middle are adorned with four big statues of dancers, which are so vividly conceived that you could swear they will go on with their dance right now.
The temple of Halebid is situated in a wonderful park and gives the impression of two temples stuck together, which is enhanced by the existence of two nandis (holy bulls, Shiva's vehicle). Its distinctive features are to be found on the outside, a huge number of statues decorating the
Deity
The Hindus adore their gods very much and decorate their statues with colours and all kinds of flowers temple walls, one more beautiful and finely carved than the other. As this was a weekend, many Indian tourists visited the temples. Stephan was very pleased because this way he could take some pictures of women in traditional clothes without disturbing them.
In India today, women wear three types of clothes. The
saree is still the most wide-spread one, only in very big and modern cities it is less to be seen. A saree is usually very colourful sometimes combining colours that seem not to match, but on dark-brown skin it looks good. It consists of two pieces, a very tight and short top (it ends directly beneath the breasts), which is buttoned in the front. Then you have a long piece of cloth, sometimes embroidered or decorated with sequins, that is artfully draped around the body, starting at the waist. We suppose that is held up by a needle at the woman's shoulder. The end of the cloth is worn like a nicely plaited and fringed scarf. During the hottest hours of the day, use the end of the scarf to protect their heads against the sun. You see, the saree is not only a pretty piece of
Dancing maid with a drum
This is a figure at the top of a pillar inside the hall. Isn't her pose remarkable? clothing, but also a multifunctional one. Secondly, mostly younger women wear a two-piece suit, consisting of pants and a very long tunic which reaches down to the knee.
Colors and patterns always match, and a light scarf gives it the finishing touch. A saree is always very tight around the legs, but this piece of clothing gives women more freedom to move, so we could often watch travelers wear it. Thirdly, young and modern women do wear jeans and t-shirts.
Men's clothes are less complicated. They either wear pants and shirts, or the so-called dhoti, a kind of loincloth. It is a very strange sight, consisting of a piece of cloth (by far not as beautiful as the ones used for sarees) that reaches from the hip down to their feet. Depending on what they do and how much freedom of movement they need, they can give it any length they desire, the minimum is at knee-length. Well, Tarzan did not come from India.
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deleted_2544
deleted_2544
Incredible architecture and carvings...
Thank you for this posting. I was at Belur and Halibeedu/Halebid last month. Everything you write is true, and more. These temples predate Somnathpura but are descended from each other during the Hoysala times (three generations of kings in that region) I found the 12th century temples to be the most beautiful places I've probably ever visit. Everything is exquisite. The rock carvings, the lathe turned pillars, the pair of Nandis at Halibeedu. This is contrasted against religious architecture in Europe which seem plain, bland, and almost immature by comparison. One thing I find interesting about these old and previously important temples is their current remoteness. That is to say, in India all the great old stuff is far removed from everyday life. It takes hours or days to reach these locations. In Europe, for instance, or even other places in Asia, major cultural artifacts can be found intertwined with everyday life and living. Not so with these truely awe inspiring Indian temples. It must have an impact on India social conciousness, right? Anyways, there are incredible treasures hidden throughout Southern India, like these two places. For a long time I used to dream of going to Northern India (Benares along the Ganges). But after seeing what Southern India has to offer, interest in the north has waned. Have a great trip! Keep up the good work.