Hassan and the Hoysala Temples

We then set off on an 8 day tour by car heading south.

First stop was a 57ft statue of Gommateshvara on a hill at Sravanabelagola. Every twelve years, thousands of devotees congregate to perform Mahamastakabhisheka, a ceremony where the statue is covered in milk, curds, ghee, saffron and gold coins, next to happen in 2018. We had to climb the 614 steps without shoes but could wear socks and there was a great view from the top.

We then went to see the Chennakeshava temple at Belur which was completed in 1116 by Hoysala Vishnuvardhana. The temple is 37 meters tall and is standing on a platform which has fabulous art work on its outer walls and bracket figures of dancing girls in various poses in perfect proportion.

Afterwards, we went to Halebidu which has two Hindu temples, the Hoysaleshawara and Kedareshwara temples and two Jain shrines, a Nandi Bull protecting the temples and a big lake.

The interiors of both these temples was also fabulous, each carved pillar being different, and with sculpted ceilings, but they were quite dark and hard to photograph.

We spent the night in Hassan, then off to Mysore.