Three Hoysala temples of Karnataka inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The Hoysala temples in Karnataka have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites, bringing global recognition and prospects of increased international tourism. The temples are known for their ornate architecture, stellate plan, and intricate carvings. The dossier for submission was prepared by INTACH Bengaluru chapter, with the focus now on implementing the management action plan.

The Hoysala temples at Belur, Halebid, and Somanathapur in Karnataka were declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites on Monday in a move that will bring global recognition with prospects of increase in international tourism to these places.

The Chennakeshava temple at Belur and the Hoysaleshwara temple at Halebidu — both in Hassan district — have been on the UNESCO’s tentative list since 2014. The Keshava temple at Somanathapur in Mysuru district was appended to the other two monuments under the tentative list and all three were officially nominated by the Centre as India’s entry for 2022-23 in February 2022.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said the coming together of creative genius, architectural eclecticism, and symbolism into this outstanding sacred architecture makes these Hoysalas temples a true work of art and their inscription is truly an honour for India and the entire world heritage community.

An expert from the International Commission on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) concluded the site visits covering all three temples in September last year and the monuments were officially inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Just a day earlier, Santiniketan in West Bengal was inscribed as a UNESCO site for the 2021-22 cycle.

All three temples are protected by the ASI and the nominations were entered as ‘The Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas’. The Hoysala temples are known for evolving a distinct style that is ornate with temple architecture following a stellate plan built on a raised platform. The material used in temple construction is choloritic schist which is also known as soapstone that are soft and amiable to carving.

The temples have horizontal friezes and many of the sculptures are signed by artists which is unique in the history of Indian art while the doorways show intricate carvings showcasing the excellence achieved by the Hoysala artist.

While the construction of the Chennakeshava temple at Belur commenced during the period of king Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE and took 103 years to complete, the Hoysaleshwara temple was commissioned in 1121 CE while the Keshava temple at Somanathapur was commissioned by Somanatha Dandanayaka during the regime of Narasimha III in 1268 CE.