Halebidu Hoysaleswara Temple

Halebidu — literally “old capital,” a name it earned after later devastation — was Dwarasamudra, the capital of the Hoysala Empire. Its Hoysaleswara Temple, begun around 1121 CE, is a twin-shrined Shiva temple whose exterior walls carry an almost continuous band of sculpted friezes: elephants, lions, horsemen, and scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, carved in such density that the temple is often cited as unfinished despite over 80 years of work. The city was plundered twice by Delhi Sultanate armies in the early 14th century, hastening the Hoysala Empire’s decline, but the temple itself survived largely intact. It was inscribed, alongside Belur and Somanathapura, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023.

Getting there: Halebidu is 16 km from Belur and about 30 km from Hassan town; the two temple towns are typically visited together. The Halebeedu Sub Post Office is administratively grouped under Belur taluk.