LORD HOYALESWARA OF HALEBIDU

As this couple are deemed extraordinary, and held by all the Kanndigas as celebreties for several reasons they shone as Pole star in the realms of fine arts. The builder-a great admirer did what he thought best and made himself immortal along with his master and queen. Some critics opine that after making elaborate additions to the existing Siva temple, the builder renamed them in their memory. Whichever is correct, nothing stands in the way of offering prayers to the deities and receive blessings.

This two cell structure stands on a five-foot-high plinth with a four-foot-wide perambulatory path. It is star shaded, like the typical Hoyasala shrine and measures 25 feet in height, 144 feet in length from north to south and 115 in breadth from east to west. There are two pavilions for two recumbant images of Nandi. The bigger Nandi is very grand to sight with its huge dimensions of 9 feet in height, 13 feet in length and 7 feet in breadth. The smaller Nandi is housed in another pavilion. These two are said to have been made by Dasoja, the master sculptor and considered as the best of their kind, rivalling in majesty, grandeur and elegance with any Nandi in the country.There are two halls adorned with exceedingly beautiful sculptural pieces, like delicately carved pillars with bracket figures of Madanika perched to heighten the beauty. It has four doorways - two on eastern side, and one each on Northern and Southern sides, and are beautified with fabulously sculptured lintels depicting a wide variety of intricate forms. 

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