Hinduism is a combination of secular and sacred beliefs, rituals, daily practices and traditions that has
evolved over the course of over two thousand years and embodies complex symbolism combining the natural world
with philosophy. Hindu temples began as simple shrines housing a deity and by the time of the Hoysalas had
evolved into well articulated edifices in which worshippers sought transcendence of the daily world. Hoysala
temples were not limited to any specific organised tradition of Hinduism and encouraged pilgrims of different
Hindu devotional movements. The Hoysalas usually dedicated their temples to Lord Shiva or to Lord Vishnu (two
of the major Hindu gods), but they occasionally chose a different deity. Worshippers of Shiva are called
Shaivas or Lingayats and worshippers of Vishnu are called Vaishnavas. While King Vishnuvardhana and his
descendants were Vaishnava by faith, records show that the Hoysalas maintained religious harmony by building as
many temples dedicated to Shiva as they did to Vishnu.[3] Most of these temples have secular features with
broad themes depicted in their sculptures. This can be seen in the famous Chennakesava Temple at Belur
dedicated to Vishnu and in the Hoysaleswara temple at Halebidu dedicated to Shiva. The Kesava temple at
Somanathapura is different in that its ornamentation is strictly Vaishnavan. Generally Vaishnava temples are
dedicated to Keshava (or to Chennakeshava, meaning "Beautiful Vishnu") while a small number are dedicated to
Lakshminarayana and Lakshminarasimha (Narayana and Narasimha both being avatars, or physical manifestations, of
Vishnu) with Lakshmi, consort of Vishnu, seated at his feet. Temples dedicated to Vishnu are always named after
the deity. The Shaiva temples have a Shiva linga, symbol of fertility and the universal symbol of Shiva, in the
shrine. The names of Shiva temples can end with the suffix eshwara meaning "Lord of". The name "Hoysaleswara",
for instance, means "Lord of Hoysala". The temple can also be named after the devotee who commissioned the
construction of the temple, an example being the Bucesvara temple at Koravangala, named after the devotee
Buci.[5] The most striking sculptural decorations are the horizontal rows of exquisitely detailed, intricately
carved images of gods, goddesses and their attendants on the outer temple wall panels. The Doddagaddavalli
Lakshmi Devi ("Goddess of Wealth") Temple is an exception as it is dedicated to neither Vishnu nor Shiva. The
defeat of the Jain Western Ganga Dynasty (of present-day south Karnataka) by the Cholas in the early 11th
century and the rising numbers of followers of Vaishnava Hinduism and Virashaivism in the 12th century was
mirrored by a decreased interest in Jainism.However, two notable locations of Jain worship in the Hoysala
territory were Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli. The Hoysalas built Jain temples to satisfy the needs of its
Jain population, a few of which have survived in Halebidu containing icons of Jain tirthankaras. They
constructed stepped wells called Pushkarni or Kalyani, the ornate tank at Hulikere being an example. The tank
has twelve minor shrines containing Hindu deities. contd part II for more info mail to musham3@gmail.com
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