Hoysaleswara Temple

Constructed during the 12th century under the Hoysala dynasty, Hoysaleswara Temple was built at Dwarasamudra, the kingdom's royal capital, now known as Halebidu. Construction is generally dated to around 1121 CE during the reign of King Vishnuvardhana, with support from wealthy local patrons. The temple developed as a major centre of Shaiva religious and artistic tradition. Halebidu was subsequently attacked during the 14th-century invasions of the Delhi Sultanate, contributing to the decline of the Hoysala capital. The temple's superstructures are absent, and the original enclosure walls have been lost, but its principal shrines and extraordinary sculptural programme survive. The monument is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and forms part of the UNESCO-listed Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas, inscribed in 2023.