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Dating Back To Hoysala Empire, These K’taka Temples Are India’s 42nd UNESCO World Heritage Site

by Tooba Shaikh
Dating Back To Hoysala Empire, These K’taka Temples Are India’s 42nd UNESCO World Heritage Site

That India is home to millions of unique cultural relics and architecture is a widely known fact. One such age-old piece of cultural architecture recently received worldwide recognition. The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas, a group of temples recently made it to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  The Hoysala temples are an architectural marvel and a testament to India’s longstanding cultural heritage. Here are all the details that you need to know about this exciting piece of news!

Karnataka’s Hoysala Temples Make It To UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The Hoysala Temples, which are now being termed ‘the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas’ are located in Karnataka and consist of three iconic temples. They are located in  Mysuru’s Somnathpura, Halebeedu in the Hassan district, and Belur.

According to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization or UNESCO’s official website, the temples were constructed around the 12th or 13th Century. They were created by the Hoysala Empire. Their style is characterised by hyper-real stone carvings and sculptures covering the surface of the temples.

This is the 42nd Indian site to make it to the UNESCO list. Furthermore, the addition of this site to the list comes right after West Bengal’s Santiniketan was marked as a World Heritage Site a day ago.

Also Read: UNESCO World Heritage Sites In Danger List: With Great Barrier Reef Off It, Venice Might Be Added

Some Interesting Facts About These Temples

Following are some very interesting facts about the temples: –

  1. According to an article recently published in Times Now, many female sculptors were employed in carving the intricate idols surrounding the temple.
  2. Many of the Hoysala temples are built on star-shaped platforms. These are the markers of their distinctive architectural style.
  3. The Chennakeshwara Temple in Belur is the largest, most elaborately carved temple of all the Hoysala temples and is dedicated to the Lord Vishnu.
  4. The influence of Chalukyan architecture comes from the fact that many Chalukyan craftsmen were employed in building these temples.

Also Read: Morocco Earthquake: UNESCO World Heritage Site, Marrakesh Ancient Buildings Severely Damaged

Click here to read more about the temples!

Have you ever paid a visit to these temples in Karnataka? If not, do you ever plan to? Let us know in the comments below!

Cover Image Credits: Canva Images

First Published: September 20, 2023 1:16 PM