Question

The temples at Halebidu and Belur belong to which of the following dynasty?
(A) Kadamba Dynasty
(B) Hoysala Dynasty
(C) Rashtrakuta Dynasty
(D) Badami Chalukya Dynasty

Answer 1

Hint: One of the most famous and oldest temples at Halebid is the Kedareshwara Temple. This Dynasty, who contributed to all these temples, was founded by Nripakama II, also known as Sala. It ruled India from 1006 to 1346 C.E.

Complete answer:
The temples at Halebidu and Belur belonged to the Hoysala Dynasty. There is a fascinating story behind the formation of this empire. It is said that once on the order of a Jain monk, Sudatta, the Nripakama fought with the tiger and killed it. His act of bravery made people of that place exclaimed 'Hoysala' with joy. Seeing people impressed with his actions, he decided to rule there and named his kingdom Hoysala. Although the Hoysala Dynasty participated a lot in the field of education, literature, music and architecture.
The architecture of this dynasty is mainly the temples in the Hindu style. Most of these temples were constructed in the city of Halebidu and Belur. Some of the famous temples from that time are:
i) Hoysaleswara Temple: This temple is more famous as Halebidu Temple, and it is the temple of Lord Shiva. It was built by King Vishnuvardhana in the starting of 12th century. It is built on the bank of the river which was created by humans.
ii) Kesava Temple: It is also known by the name of Chennakesava Temple. This temple was constructed by King Vishnuvardhana in the 12th century. It took 103 years for this temple to complete, and Kesava temple is totally devoted to Lord Vishnu.
iii) Kedareshwara Temple: This Temple is in the city of Halebidu, Karnataka. It is situated near the Hoysaleswara temple. This temple was constructed by King Veera Ballala I.
So, the correct answer is Option B.

Note: Both the Kedareshwara and the Kesava Temple were recommended to be documented under the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Digambar Jain Temple and Bhairava Temple are two other important temples built in the Hoysala Dynasty. The Hoysala Kingdom ruled almost all the Kannada part of India.