The Hoysalesvara temple was built by Ketamalla, an officer of King Vishnuvardhana in or about 1121. Probably, sculptures continued to be added to it till at least 1141. On plan the temple consists of two sancta, each with its sukhanasi, navaranga and Nandi Mandapa. A corridor connects the two. The sancta are star shaped and contain two Lingas named Vishnuvardhana, Hoysalesvara and Santalesvara respectively after the King and his chief Queen, who also appear in the Kesava temple in Belur. Each half of the temple closely resembles Belur on plan. Outside them stands Nandi Mandapas. There is also a shrine for Surya.
Temple Architecture
On the upper parts of the walls there is another kind of artistic delight. Here, one can see pierced windows on one of the walls and reliefs, about 90 cm high each of divinities, set on pedestals and with canopies above. Either King Vishnuvardhana or Ketamalla, the builder of the temple stands in eternal effigy in the north-east. On the beautifully sculptured south door there is a Kannada inscription which states that Kalidasi, a sculptor, made it for Kadaroja who was the chief architect of King Narasimha. This door way is marvellous and beyond words. A bare few of the Madanikai sculptures that once adorned the temple have survived.
A pillar in the Prakara contains a long Kannada inscription which tells that the body guard of king Ballala II, in accordance with their dread vow to survive him, killed themselves on his death.
Other related places
Three Jain temples stand within a Prakara not far from the Hoysalesvara. One, dedicated to Parsvanatha, is full of good sculpture. The central ceiling of its Navaranga is a marvel of carving. The twelve pillars here are so finely polished that the visitor can see reflection of himself but because of their curvatures these may result in some funny sights. The other two temples are dedicated to Santhanatha and to Adinatha, but the latter shrine is now empty.
Excavations in the 1980s revealed the plinths of temples with the typical Hoysala star-shaped plan and the hallmark breathtaking sculptural scrolls. Archaeologists found that three of the temples were accessed by one large mahadvara or entrance. One of the temples was found to be a Jaina shrine.
All that remains of the Nagaresvara temples today are the basements with scattered pieces of pillars, beams and even the base of a linga lying around. Laid low by invaders, desecrated by vandals, the site is ignored by all.
Another important place to visit is the Kedaresvara temple built almost a hundred years after the Hoysalesvara temple by Ballala II and his younger queen, Abhinava Ketala Devi. The temple is a three-celled structure with a linga in one of the cells but no worship takes place here. Though a mere 800 m away from the older temple, this little temple does not attract a swarm of tourists and its charm lies in its utter solitude.