- Built
- Around 1250, under Vira Someshwara
- Style
- Hoysala, three shrines (trikuta)
- Entry fee
- Free
- Best time
- October to March
- Nearest airport
- Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru
Architecture
The temple is a trikuta, meaning three shrines open onto a shared hall, and all of it stands on a jagati, a star-shaped platform that visitors can walk around. The outer walls carry bands of fine carving: rows of elephants, horsemen, scrolling creepers, swans and friezes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, with larger images of gods and goddesses above.
Inside, the hall has the smooth, lathe-turned pillars typical of Hoysala work, and its ceiling is divided into bays with carved panels. The soft soapstone allowed the sculptors extraordinary detail, and much of it is still crisp.
History
Hoysala temple building reached its peak in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Hosaholalu belongs to the late phase, when the style was fully mature, and it is often grouped with the Keshava Temple at Somanathapura as among the finest of that period.
Timings and tickets
Entry is free. The temple is open daily, but hours are not always fixed, so it is best to visit in the morning or late afternoon. Weekdays are quieter than weekends.
How to reach
Hosaholalu is a village in Mandya district, and the easiest way is by car or taxi, often combined with a Mysuru trip. KSRTC buses from the major cities of Karnataka reach Mandya, from where local transport goes on to the village. Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport is the closest major airport.
Nearby
Several quieter temples lie within a short drive and can be added to a half-day circuit.
- Hale Yedatore, a thirteenth-century temple with a star-shaped tower, about 12 km away
- Channakeshava Temple at Bherya, about 18 km away
- Venkataramana Temple at Thondanur, about 25 km away
- Chunchanakatte Falls on the Cauvery
- Keshava Temple at Somanathapura
Also nearby
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