Poetry in stone.....Halebid Temple (Karnataka, South India)

Halebid was the ancient capital of the Hoysala kings of South India, who built a number of magnificent temples. We reached there around noon, and after lunch at the KSTDC hotel, we went to the Hoysaleswara temple (just opposite). The temple is spread out on a star shaped base, with ornate doorways, while the outer walls have intricate figures depicting scenes from the ancient Indian epics. There are carvings of Hindu deities, animals, birds and friezes depicting the lives of the Hoysala kings. We were fortunate to have an excellent guide Mr.Aslam (who we later heard is also the tourist officer) who spared no effort to tell us about the history and highlight the salient features of the sculptures--we were impressed by his knowledge and passion for the subject. The beauty of the sculptures and stone carvings cannot be described in words..we plan to return soon!