About Halebidu

Country: India | State: Karnataka

Ideal Trip Duration: 2-3 Hours

Nearest City to Halebidu: Bangalore (211 Kms), Mysore (148 Kms)

Best Time to Visit Halebidu: October to March

Peak Season: October to March

At a distance of 17 km from Belur, 32 km from Hassan, 34 km from Chikmagalur, 148 km from Mysore, & 211 km from Bangalore, Halebidu is located in the Hassan district of Karnataka. It is one of the most popular tourist places in Karnataka, and among the must include places in Chikmagalur tour packages.

Halebidu (or Halebid) is famous for the beautiful Hoysala Temples of Hoysaleswara and Kedareswara built in 1121 AD. These are the most important places to visit as part of Halebidu tour packages. It is one of the three Hoysala temples nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the other two being the Belur temple & Somnathpur temple. The Hoysala temples are known for minute & intricate carvings and sculptures with metal-like polishing.

Halebidu was the glorified royal capital of the Hoysala kingdom in the 12th Century. Halebidu, which was previously called Dorasamudra or Dwarasamudra, got the name 'Halebidu' literally meaning 'The Old City' because it was ruined two times during the invasion of Malik Kafur. The temple town comprises two Hindu temples, the Hoysaleswara, Kedareswara temples, and two Jain basadis. There is an archeological museum in the temple complex. These temples are surrounded by a big lake. Soapstone / Chloritic Schist was used for the construction of these temples. Halebidu is one of best places to visit near Bangalore.

The Hoysaleswara temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is built on a star-shaped platform. This temple enshrines Hoyasaleswara and Santaleswara. Ketumalla, a minister of Vishnuvardhana the Hoysala ruler, built the Hoyasaleswara temple during 1121 AD and attributed it to his king Vishnuvardhana and Queen Shantala Devi. The construction of the temple took about 105 years to complete. The walls of the temple are covered with an endless variety of depictions from Hindu mythology, animals, birds, and dancing figures. Each sculpture in the temple is unique and beautifully carved. Another popular place to visit in Halebidu is the Kedareswara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. This was built by King Ballala II is considered to be a gem of architecture. It was decorated with sculptures and panels in typical Hoysala style. The basement shows the rows of elephants, horses, lions, and an imaginary animal called Makara.

Mangalore Airport is the nearest airport, which is 185 km from Halebid. The nearest Railway Station is at Hassan, which is about 32 km from Halebid. It has trains from Dharwar, Cannanore, Bangalore, Mysore, Shimoga and Arsikere. Hassan is the base station to travel to Halebid and it is well connected by bus with Halebid. Hassan is linked with Belur, Halebid, Chikmagalur, Shravanbelgola, Bangalore, Mangalore, and Mysore by bus.

Hoysala Mahotsava, a dance festival is held in the temples of Belur - Halebid in March every year. It is one of the important festivals in Belur and Halebid. This place can be visited throughout the year. Usually, it takes 2-3 hours to visit temples in Halebid.

Temple Timings: 9 AM to 6 PM.

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Other Info
Internet Availability: Poor
STD Code: 08177
Languages Spoken: Kannada, Hindi, English
Major Festivals: Details Not Available
Notes/Tips:
None

How to Reach Halebidu

By Air

Nearest Airport: Mangalore - Mangalore Airport (185 Kms)

By Train

Nearest Train Station: Hassan Railway Station (32 Kms)

By Bus

Nearest Bus Station: Halebid Bus Station (0 Kms)

Top 10 Places to Visit in Halebidu

#1 of 7 Places to Visit in Halebidu

At a distance of 0.5 km from Halebidu Bus Station, Hoysaleswara Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated at Halebidu. It is one of the prime places to visit in Halebidu, and among the popular places of heritage in Karnataka.

Built-in Hoysala style of architecture, this temple is listed in UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other Hoysala temples at Belur & Somnathpur. Built-in 1121 AD, the temple has two shrines, one dedicated to Hoysaleswara and another for Shantaleswara named after Shantala Devi, the queen of King Vishnuvardhana.

Standing on a star-shaped platform, the temple is made out of soapstone. Both the shrines are located next to each other with a common portico. The shrine comprises Shiva Linga which is still worshipped. The halls comprise huge images of Nandi, the attendant of Lord .....

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#2 of 7 Places to Visit in Halebidu

At a distance of 12 km from Halebidu, 27 km from Belur, 64 km from Chikmagalur, and 82 km from Kemmangundi, Belavadi is a village situated in the Chikmagalur district. It is one of the popular places to visit in Halebidu.

Belavadi is famous for Sri Veera Narayana Temple built in Hoysala architectural style. The place is described as Ekachakranagara of Mahabharata and is said to be the place where Pandava prince Bheema killed the demon Bakasura and protected the village and its people. Belavadi Temple can be visited along with Chikmagalur Tour Packages.

The Veera Narayana temple was built in the 13th century by the Hoysala King Veera Bhallala II. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu in three different forms. While Belur and Halebid are famous for their intricate sculpture, this temple is one .....

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#3 of 7 Places to Visit in Halebidu

At a distance of about 1 KM from Hoysaleshwara Temple in Halebid, Kedareshwara Temple is a Hoysala temple built by King Ballala II and his younger Queen Abhinava Ketala Devi in 1319 AD.

Kedareswara Temple is a fine example of Hoysala style of temple architecture. The carved ceilings of the temple are supported by finely polished pillars. The magnificent idol of Nandi Vahana in its lying posture adds extra elegance to the temple. Unfortunately portions of the temple collapsed and they are never restored again.

The main shrine is raised over a beautiful star-shaped platform of smooth stone. The walls, the tower, the doorway and the ceiling are magnificently carved. As seen in Hoysaleswara temple, this temple has classic friezes and scenes from the epics.

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#4 of 7 Places to Visit in Halebidu

At a distance of about 1 KM from Hoysaleshwara Temple in Halebid, Basadi Halli (or Jain Mandir) is situated between Hoysaleshwara Temple and Kedareshwara Temple.

There are three Jain temples at Basadi Halli - Parshwanatha Swamy Temple, Adinatha Swamy Temple and Shantinatha Swamy Temple. Parshwanatha Swamy Temple is an important structure with wonderful carvings. The 12 pillars that hold the doom have been cut in a fine and attractive manner. The pillars have been carved well that the images differ from one another.

The Parshwanatha Swamy figure is made out of black stone and it is 14 feet in height. A seven-headed serpent carved at the head of this figure appears to be guarding the deity.

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#5 of 7 Places to Visit in Halebidu

At a distance of about 0.5 Kms from Hoysaleshwara Temple in Halebid, Archaeological Museum is situated in front of the Hoysaleswara Temple. Established in early 1970s, this museum has more than 1500 sculptures & inscriptions of historical significance recovered in and around Halebidu.

The collection is displayed in a closed sculpture gallery as well as in an open air museum with a large reserve collection. It also display 18 feet Tirthankara image from the ruined tank of one of the Jaina basadis. The open air museum has in its display many sculptures of importance like Govardhanagiridhari Krishna, Dancing Shiva, Nataraja and Veena Saraswati, dancing Ganesha, etc.

Most of the artifacts exhibited in the museum are from 12th - 13th century.

Timings: 9 AM to 5 PM, Closed on Fridays

Entry: Rs. 5 for Person

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#6 of 7 Places to Visit in Halebidu

At a distance of 25 km from Chikmagalur, 40 km from Hassan, 154 km from Mysore, 165 km from Mangalore, and 217 km from Bangalore, Belur is a historical temple town situated in the Hassan district of Karnataka. It is one of the best heritage sites in Karnataka, and among the most famous places to visit near Mangalore.

Belur is one of the well-known Karnataka tourist places as it is home to the renowned Hoysala Temple dedicated to Lord Chennakesava. It is the best of three Hoysala temples nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the other two being the temples at Halebid & Somnathpur). The Hoysala temples are known for minute & intricate carvings and sculptures with metal-like polishing. Sri Chennakesava Temple is one of the must-visit places as part of Belur tour packages.

Among the most popular tourist places to visit near Bangalore, Belur .....

Distance (From Halebidu): 17 Kms
Trip Duration (From Halebidu - Including Travel): 4 Hours/Half Day
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#7 of 7 Places to Visit in Halebidu

At a distance of 50 km from Hassan, 83 km from Mysore, and 140 km from Bangalore, Shravanabelagola is one of the most popular Jain pilgrimage centers in South India. This is one of the popular 2 day trip from Bangalore and a major heritage / historical site not to miss in a Karnataka tour packages.

This place is named after the pond in the middle of the town (Bela-Kola means White Pond). Shravanabelagola is famous for the Bahubali Statue, among the must include places in Shravanabelagola tour packages. With a height of 58 feet carved out of a single block of granite, the statue is supposed to be the tallest monolithic stone statue in the world. The statue was carved during the period of Chamundaraya, a minister of the Ganga King Rajamalla between 982 and 983 CE. The nude statue of Bahubali is carved carefully .....

Distance (From Halebidu): 81 Kms
Trip Duration (From Halebidu - Including Travel): 1-2 Days
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Top 3 Halebidu Tour Packages