Jain Temples in Halebidu
The famous Jain temples are located in Halebidu, Hassan District dedicated to the Jain Tirthankaras, Parshavanatha, Adinatha, and Shantinatha. The Halebidu Jain temple complex consists of three main temples for the Jains located quite close to the Dwarasamudra Lake and Kedareshwara Temple. These architectures are done in the 12th century when the Hoysala Empire was ruling this region. The entire area of Hoysaleswara Temple and Kedareshwara Temple is listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Before you finally visit, you must have some idea about the place and its brilliant architecture.Important Details
Location: Hassan, Karnataka, India
Deity: Parshvanatha, Shantinatha, and Adinatha
Exploring time: 1 Hour
Festivals: Mahavir Jayanti
Creator: Vishnuvardhana, Veera Ballala II
Established in: 12th century
Number of temples: 3
Best time to visit Halebidu:
Background
The history of how Halebidu served as the regal capital in the 12th century for the Hoysala dynasty is interesting. The name of this town Halebidu translates to be known as ‘the old city’. This town of Halebidu is a famous site to explore excellent Hoysala architecture. If you are an art lover and enjoy exploring the ancient architecture, then you will fall in the nostalgic shade of history. The beauty of the rustic architecture of Halebidu town is timeless; the historic marvel of every location in this town is a must to explore. The stunning structures are a good example of Dravidian architecture. To get the real picture of the Jain Temples in Halebidu, take a look at some more details of the three famous temples inside the Jain Basadi complex.Architecture
Many visitors will tell you that the Kedareshwara temple and Hoysaleswara temple are the brilliant pieces of workmanship, but the Halebidu Jain temple complex can be a good competition to these ancient architectures in town. The three main temples inside the Jain Basadi complex are as follows:
Parshvanatha Basadi
This particular temple is very famous for its noticeable architecture and beautiful Navaranga halls. You will find some of the exquisite carvings on the lathe-turned pillars and the most interesting thing about the pillars is that they are massive and placed on each other. There are also some of the things that are believed about these pillars, it is said to be the many layers of karma that pulls us down with their black color timelessness.The details of the temple structure are incomplete without explaining the half hall (Ardhamandapa), great hall (Mahamandapa), along with some of the important monolithic which is 18 feet tall. The beauty of carvings and architecture doesn’t just end here, the sculptures of Padmavati, and Yaksha Dharanendra is present in the Mahamandapa. Another interesting attraction of this place is the image of Padmavati along with three hooded cobras. You can easily understand that this temple is the largest among the Jain Basadi.
Shantinatha Basadi
This is another temple in the Jain Basadi complex that will surely mesmerize you. It is famous for garbhagriha ("sanctum"), mahamandapa, ardhamandapa, and some of the huge granite pillars with the inner sanctum which is around 18 feet tall idol of Shantinatha also known as the sixteenth Tirthankar. The visitors are mostly amazed by the granite pillars that are made into square sections. The renovations task over the temples is frequently carried out to increase the lifespan of this brilliant architecture.
Adinatha Basadi
This temple is comparatively smaller than the other two temples in the complex; it contains garbhagriha, mandapa (Hall) with a sculpture of the beautiful goddess Saraswati along with the image of the adinatha. Along with the sculpture of the goddess in this temple, the Basadi complex also contains an 18 feet tall manasthamba and a Hulikere Kalyani reservoir.
Restoration Programs
There are more than 1,000 sculptures discovered in this area and the Jain Basadi complex is protected by the Archeological Survey of India, but now the UNESCO World Heritage Site takes care of this structure. These temples have reached the state of preservation for more than one reason. The brilliant architecture contributes a lot to tourism and sightseeing, but there are idols of Goddess Ambika represented as the Salabhanjika which attracts major religious tourism. The ASI is recently planning to build an open-air museum.
Excavation
Many sculptures were found in the year 2019 near the Parshvanatha Basadi. Around 10 structures were found and those were moved to the Halebidu museum, after which the ASI started building a compound wall around the complex. The discovery of these sculptures stated that there might be other Jain temples under the earth in that area. How to Reach Halebidu?
Halebidu is a small town in the Hassan district and it is perfect for a day trip. If you are willing to explore the ancient ruins and recent sculpture discovery, then visiting Halebidu and the Halebidu Jain temples will be the perfect solutions. This place is well-connected to most of the major cities and transportation platforms. The closest railway station is in Hassan 27 km (16 miles) easily accessible via cab, here are some more details about the transportation route.
By Air:
Mysore Airport is the nearest domestic airport for traveling at a distance of around 160 km (99 miles). Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore is another nearest airport is around 230 km (142 miles), you will easily find frequent cabs and other transportation from this place.
By Rail:
Mysore, Mangalore, and Hassan are the three railheads that are well-connected with all the major cities in India.
By Road:
The roadways are also quite easy to travel and well-connected with major parts of the country via buses, cabs, and other conveyance. Now that you have all the basic information about the transportation routes and famous things to explore in the Halebidu Jain Temple complex, get ready to step in the ancient era in Halebidu Town.