In Southern Karnataka, 4 Small Villages Are World-Famous For Tourism: Belur, Halebid, Somanathapur And Shravan Belgola. The First Three Of Them Show Hoysala Temples, Richly Carved Hindu Temples Dating From The 12Th And 13Th Centuries. This Tourist Book Is The First That Aims To Present The Complete Group Of Hoysala Temples To A Large Audience. Not Only The Three Famous Temples Are Discussed And Illustrated, But Also More Than 10 Others That Are Extremely Worth Visiting For Tourists And That Were, Until Now, Only Known To Archaeologists.

The social life of the queens of Hoysala period are presented in the beautiful Shilabalika sculptures of Belur temple. This highly illustrative book recreates the world of Hoysala queens by shedding light on how the queens got groomed in various fields of arts and sports. A comparative study of Manasollasa and the Shilabalika panels prove that a study of the literary source Manasollasa is essential to understand the activities depicted in the immortal beauties of Belur temple.

The research for this book was motivated by speculations about the religious movements that may have influenced the plans and arrangements of temples built by the Hoysaḷas of Karnataka in the period between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It investigates the causes for the accelerated pace of these constructions; enquires about what served as catalysts for the incorporation of multiple shrines within structures; examines the factors that gave momentum to the sanctification of a variety of deities within them; and studies the characteristics of their style as it was manifested in the temples they commissioned. Thought the finest of these are in the Imperial Hoysaḷa Style (in either the Haḷebīḍ or Koravañgala types), all of the architectural output does not necessarily fall into these categories, some displaying a plurality of characteristics from earlier regional idioms. However, the differences between the two are revealing as they serve to highlight the really ground breaking innovations introduced by the Hoysaḷas.

You may have a lot of questions about the art and architecture of Karnataka. There may be queries about the various heritage touring circuits. You might like to understand what went into designing, planning and constructing monuments over a thousand year ago. You may still wish to know how art and architecture progressed during the ancient and medieval times in Karnataka. This book attempts to answer a lot of these questions, for example: 1.What is the name of the first established Village in South India and where is it located? 2.Where did the earliest gold miners live in Karnataka? 3.Which was the first Agrahara established in Karnataka? 4.Which is the first existing temple dedicated to Siva in Karnataka? 5.Which is the first existing temple dedicated to Krishna in Karnataka? 6.What roles did temples have other than being the places of worship? 7.Which is the first temple dedicated to Rama in Karnataka? 8.What was Karnataka referred to as in the Puranic times? 9.Which is the first existing temple dedicated to Shakti in Karnataka? 10.How old is the Kannada language?

This book on Apsaras in Hoysala art with particular reference to the Belur Chennakesava temple is dealt in two parts, viewing apsara as a dancer and a philosopher. Part one is about the dance of apsara, while part two is about the psychological states of awareness levels that are depicted. It is like exploring the external and the internal world of apsaras. Part I deals with the apsara`s skills in dance and dramaturgy, precisely a study of the depiction of Rasas - the sentiments in sculptures, that are viewed through the medium of Natyasastra and Dasarupaka - a treatise on Indian dance, music and dramaturgy. Part I is a study of the superficial aspects like the theme, the posture, the accessories used, the actions of the attendants and so on. Apsaras are viewed as dancers, who deserve to be elevated to the status of permanent guides for the aspect of rasas.

Nataraja, the dancing Siva sculpture, is perhaps the most well-known among all Hindu sculptures, and rightly so. It has evoked highly advanced discussions among scientists, philosophers, performing artists, art critics, art collectors, historians, archaeologists and mythologists. The Nataraja sculpture also occupies a pride of a place at CERN, the European Centre for Research in Particle Physics in Geneva. Siva, according to Hindu Mythology, was the very first dancer in the world. All dramaturgy and dance traditions emerge from Siva’s cosmic dance. Tandu, Siva’s disciple narrated the description of Siva’s dance to Bharata Muni and he is believed to have compiled the Natyasastra, the world’s first treatise on dramaturgy, dance and other performing arts. Scholars believe that the Natyasastra was written over a long period of time between the 2nd century BCE and 2nd century CE with contributions from various sages, with its foundation having been laid by Bharata Muni. Convergence between Hindu mythology, Natyasastra and Silpasastra was the natural outcome. Karnataka, and its temple architecture tradition, played a pioneering role in giving an artistic form to this convergence in its temple sculptures. Though this trend may have started earlier during 2nd and 3rd century CE, it started to take the center stage from the times of the Badami Chalukyas. Passing through various refinements between 5th and 10th centuries, it reached its peak with the Hoysala art. This book traces the history of temple sculpture evolution and development through the centuries by referring to the existing sculptural forms and the canonical literature that developed over time.

Art and History: Texts, Contexts and Visual Representations in Ancient and Early Medieval India seeks to locate the historical contexts of premodern Indian art traditions. The volume examines significant questions, such as: What were the purposes served by art? How were religious and political ideas and philosophies conveyed through visual representations? How central were prescription, technique and style to the production of art? Who were the makers and patrons of art? How and why do certain art forms, meanings and symbols retain a relevance across context? With contributions from historians and art historians seeking to unravel the interface between art and history, the volume dwells on the significance of visual representations in specific regional historical contexts, the range of symbolic signification attached to these and the mythologies and textual prescriptions that contribute to the codification and use of representational forms. Supplemented with over 60 images, this volume is a must-read for scholars and researchers of history and art.

Chennakesava Temple, Belur situated on the river Yagachi. a monument of exquisite architecture built by the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana A.D 1117. The Hoysalas ruled over southern part of Kamataka from river Tungabhadra in the north up to river Kaveri to the south between A.D 1000 and A.D 1346. During their reign, this region flourished with rich art and culture and many temples were erected. This grand temple is of star-shape with intricate carving on the exterior walls and interiors with marvelous sculptures and lathe-turned pillars. The major attractions of this temple are the rail parapet running around the temple, large images of Gods and Goddesses, the bracket figures of various attitudes, the car-like niches, the gravity pillar, the ceiling and the stone screen. The sculptures are highly ornated