Halebid

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So i didn't really know where we were going or what temples we were visiting, or even the names of the towns. At each temple, guides are more than happy to offer their services for a small fee, but seeing as i have no attention span or power of retention, i opted against them. I'm sure there's a lot of fascinating information that i missed, but visiting temples such as these for me, is more of a sensual experience. I like to survey the details of the carvings, the particular type of stone that was used, the devotion of the pilgrims visiting, the children playing among the colonades.....that sort of thing. But in case any of you care, the following is some historical background of Halebid courtesy of Lonely Planet:
They think that Halebid has been inhabited since the 9th century. It was known as Dorasamudra, a name that apparently gives reference to a nearby artificial pond. Throughout the course of its existence, the temple has been pilaged at least twice by some bastard sultans from Delhi.
The main structure of the temple was built somewhere around 1121. It was worked on for 80 years but never reached full completion. Apparently there's some spots where the dudes got lazy, but my undiscerning eye never saw those. The walls are covered with carvings of Hindu gods and goddesses with names like bob and sue....and yadda yadda yadda. See, this is why i don't hire guides. It was pretty and i liked it and we'll leave it at that.

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