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.

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

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.

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.

This contextual study of narrative reliefs depicting Hindu epics and puranas on specific South Indian Hoysal a temples provides a detailed exposition of narrative episodes paired with photographs, illustrating and reviewing the stories and exploring techniques of Indian visual narrative.

The Hoysala dynasty was established about A.D. 940 in the present-day state of Karnataka near Mysore and overthrown by Muslims in 1326. At times it extended throughout southern India.

The Kesava temple at Somanathapur, located 36 KM from Mysore in Karnataka is a good example of the Hoysala architecture. This grand celebrated temple enriched with intricate sculptures and architecture is erected on a raised terrace of star shape. The sculptures on the wall appear to have been executed on wood and not on stone with extreme perfection and dedication. Not just the sculptures this complicated structure proves their architectural dexterity and talent. This main temple is surrounded by pillared cloister with sub-shrines. This grand temple enjoys similar and at par importance as the Kesava temple at Belur and the Hoysalesvara temple at Halebid

Through lucid visual analysis, accompanied by drawings, this book will allow readers to appreciate the concepts underlying designs that at first sight often seem bewilderingly intricate. The book will be divided into six parts that cover the history and development of the design and architecture of Indian temples.

Take a journey through Indian architecture from the dawn of civilization to the present with this colorful, attractive survey. The architecture of India reflects both the cultural diversity of the subcontinent and its rich political and historical inheritance. In this guide, the various strands of this rich architectural history, from the dawn of civilization to modern times, are beautifully presented in word and picture. Readers are taken on a fascinating tour of Indus Valley civilization, early Vedic traditions, Hindu, Jain, Mughal, regional, colonial and post-independence architectural styles. Themes such as water architecture and the architecture of science also figure prominently, giving many westerners their first glimpse of these styles. The informative text, complemented by 400 photographs, watercolors, maps and plans, provide compelling evidence of India's influence on building design throughout history.