Another spectacular day in Karnataka State. We visited two absolutely stunning 12th century temples today. I don’t have too many pictures on the iPhone but here is one small example of the craftsmanship that took almost 200 years and 20,000 laborers to construct under the Hoysala kings.
The entire external surface of the temple at Halebid is covered with statues that tell the stories of the epics the Mahabharata and Ramayana. We had a great local guide who gave us a few of the highlights.
In the photo below are two examples of the soapstone sculptures. Left is Vishnu on a peacock, right is Ganesha on a rat. Each of these panels are about 6 feet tall and 3 feet across.
Vishnu and Ganesha at Halebid
Each piece is unique and so intricate. If you look down to the rat that Ganesh is standing on, you will see how the sculptor showed the weight of Ganesha by having the rat’s claw dig into the bottom decoration – subtle but profound. The pieces are alive with energy, myth and humor.
Halebid is a Shiva temple, with a long main hallway and two raised circular platforms for Bharatanatyam dancing so I was able to offer a few steps on the platform in honor of the lineage of this sacred art form. Another one of my heart’s desires fulfilled so I told everyone that I could go home now.
The next temple in nearby Belur was a Vishnu temple and was also magnificent with sculptures of dancers and stories. It is an active temple and was more crowded and hot so not quite as enjoyable to tour around but still magnificent. I think we were all so overwhelmed by Halebid, it was almost too much to take in.
On the way back to the hotel, Subash took us to see where jaggery was being made. It’s the Indian equivalent of maple sugar candy made from sugar cane. Apparently it is good for the digestion and is a popular snack. Everything was done by hand from loading the machinery, stirring massive flat bottomed vats, stoking the fire with dried sugar cane and then breaking up the final product into slabs.
Before supper Subash took us for a walk to see a small village of about 60 people. We would never get to see something like this on a big tour bus. Subsistence farming, cows and goats, a few crops, communal well, red brick or mud homes all tight together with tiny alleyways, a couple of newer homes being built of cement block that would have indoor plumbing and a septic system but no running water, most had electrical service. People were coming home from the fields with their livestock and the kids were home from school so we had the usual crowd of curious and shy onlookers. Humbling experience.