HALEBID

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Location

Halebid which was also called Dwarasamudra in ancient times is located in the Hassan district of present day Indian state of Karnataka.

About Halebid

The capital of the Hoysala Kingdom during the 12^th century was called Halebid. It was a centre of some of the country’s finest architectural structures. However in the later centuries when the Hoysala kingdom was taken over by the armies of Alauddin Khilji during the 14th century the kingdom was massacred of its structured and what was left was a ruinous end. Today’s Halebid bears very little resemblance to its glorious past.

Halebid Architecture

Halebid has some of the finest and ornate examples of Hoysala architecture. Two such examples would be the Hoysaleswara Temple – this temple was built by Ketamala and attributed it to Vishnuvardhana. The latter was a Hoysala king who had led many expeditions and was successful in consolidating South India. The temple complex has two temples in it each of which is rich in its sculptural attributes and ornate carvings. Kedareswara Temple – this is a Chalukyan styled temple that had two emblems of the Hoysala dynasty. It can be rightly called one of the finest examples of refined and artistic carvings where attention is given to every minute detail.

Climate

The climate of Halebid can be mainly categorized into the following

Summer - the season starts from the month of March to May. Among these the hottest month is April. Temperature ranges from 20 degree centigrade to 35 degree centigrade.

Monsoon - between the months of June to October there are occasional showers that hekps in bringing down the temperature a little.

Winter - the main months of the winter season lasts between January and February. Because of the presence of the north-east monsoon there are sporadic rainfalls between October to February.