Architectural Styles
Hoysala
Alt names / subperiods
Timeline
Distinguishing Features
Geographic Presence
11th-14th C
- Intricate craftsmanship
- detailed sculptures
- star-shaped temples
- ‘elaborate carvings
- Hindu mythology
- soapstone carvings
- Chalukyan style
- multiple tapered temple towers (shikharas)
- temple sanctum (garbhagriha
- entrance hall (mukhamandapa)
- high-relief friezes
- grand entry porch & gates
- ‘water tanks (kalyanis)
- step wells (pushkarni)
- multi-shrine temple complexes
- Karnataka State India
Common Building Types
Landmark buildings
Historic Accommodation Types
Accommodation Examples
- Temples
- Palaces
- Fortifications
- Tater tanks/reservoirs (pushkarni/kalyani)
Temples
- Chennakesava Belur
- Hoysaleshwara Halebidu
- Keshava Somanathapura
- Lakshmi Devi
- Nageshwara
- Chennakesava
- Shravanabelagola
- Tirumala Devara
- Pattadakal
- Temple choultries / dharmashalas (charitable rest-houses)
- Mathas (monastic institutions) hosting travellers
- Satras / agraharas (Brahmin settlement hospitality networks)
- Caravanserai-style rest stops on trade routes
- Urban lodging in market towns (rented rooms, merchant houses, inns)
- Royal/administrative guest facilities
- Roadside shelters (shaded pavilions, mandapas) near water reservoirs
- Chennakeshava Temple Belur
- Hoysaleswara Temple Halebidu
- Keshava Temple Somanathapura
- Jain pilgrimage centre Shravanabelagola
- Vaishnava pilgrimage centre Melukote
- Jain basadi-linked lodging and pilgrim facilities Shravanabelagola
Adaptive Reuse
- Elements of the old Hoysala royal complexes at Belur and Halebidu later reused under Vijayanagara and Mysore rulers
- Royal / administrative halls in Hoysala palace precincts adapted into guest facilities for visiting officials and pilgrims after the decline of the Hoysala dynasty
- in modern times, some have been integrated into state-run heritage rest houses.
Landmarks
Original Accommodation
Adapted Visitor Accommodation