Temples 3 and visiting Jain

Before giving into fatigue and a few more fresh nights (oh yes, at least 20, if not the forecast 13C) and lazy picnics in Hassan, we did what the guidebook said and made our way to the Hoysala temples in Halebidu and Belur. These are from about the 12th Century, so post Chola, but in a very different area - made of black stone that's apparently 'easy' to work and goes hard when oxydised, made in a star shape, and very very fancy!

The two towns are in beautiful contryside too - green, green trees and paddy fields, distant mountains and birdsong rather than rickshaw engines...

The temple in Halebidu was apparently never quite finished. The detail on both temples is amazing though, telling stories on one layer, decorating with another and showing elephants, warriors on horses and birds all over.

The columns used were 'turned' like you would a wooden banister post and added to this are rings of very detailled flowery decoration that are just wonderful!

This is the temple at Belur where the dark stone Hoysala building is surrounded by collonades and a spectacular white entrance gate (gopura).

From Hassan we also made a trip to Sravanabelgola - to see the statue of Gomateshwara, on top of a very steep hill set in, again, beautiful countryside. There are a number of Jain temples here and it's a major pilgrim site - the main one is on a hill up over 600 steps (luckily we got there early, we couldn't go up the other hill as the stone burned our feet after lunch!) and every 12 years they have a big festival to 'wash' the statue.

The statue is enormous and set in the couryard of a 'normal' sized temple, so looks even bigger! The shrines in the Hindu temples we've been to are usually quite small statues, usually covered in flowers so there's just a little head sticking out - this is something different! You can see anthills and vines growing up the legs of the statue - Gomateshwara spent so long standing meditating in the forest that it started growing up around him...

Down in the valley between the rocks, there are further Jain temples. The caretaker of this one grabbed us as we walked past and showed us around the peaceful enclosure. The main buiding houses a shrine and is similar to the other Hoysala temples, the little house behind houses another statue of one of the 24 Jain figures, all standing or sitting meditating.

Each of the 24 figures are identified with what they hold/things that accompany them, a bit like how we've been identifying the Hindu deities... but they're not dressed in dhoties and saris, they're all 'au naturel' like Gomateshwara. The Jain temples are different to the Hindu ones less in form than in feel - they're quieter, calmer, maybe because there are fewer devotees, maybe because of the meditation?

Still learning...