December 29, 2018

My TriAdvisor Review No.407: Basadi Halli: Halebeedu, Karnataka.

Jain Temples of Halebeedu.


There are three Jain Temples (basadis), very near the Kedareswara Temple in Halebeedu, less than half a kilometre away from the Hoysaleshwara Temple. We walked from the Hoysaleshwara temple to the lane where both these temple complexes are located. They are the lesser known temples hence very few tourists come here, and we got a very quiet and peaceful darshan of both.

Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana followed the Jain faith before he converted to Vaishnavism, a sect of Hinduism. However his queen, Shantala Devi continued to be a follower of Jainism. These temples were built in the 12th century, during and immediately after their reign.

There are three Jain basadis in this temple complex. The largest one is the Parshvanatha Basadi, with an 18 foot monolithic statue of the deity. The Shanthinatha Basadi has an inner sanctum with the 18 foot monolith of the Shanthinatha deity. The Adinatha Basadi is the smallest one with the image of the deity Adinatha and the Hindu goddess Saraswati. The monolith of Bahubali, which was earlier present in this temple, in now displayed outside the Halebeedu museum.

The most noteworthy point in these temples are the shining lathe turned pillars, which with the right angle of lighting and some polishing, enables you to see your own reflection.

This Jain temple complex is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, and now proposed to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It is definitely worth a visit, and no less spectacular, along with the other temples of Halebeedu and Belur, near Hassan.
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Date of experience: December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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