Hassan District
Hassan district is a district in
Karnataka state, India. The district capital is
Hassan city.Hassan district was the seat of the
Hoysala empire which at its peak ruled large parts of south India from
Halebidu as its early capital and
Belur as its later capital during the period
1000 -
1334 CE. Today Hassan is primarily known worldwide for its Hoysala architecture and is a veritable treasure trove of about fifty sculptural marvels tucked away in several villages and towns of the district. Hassan is also well known nationally for modern technology. The
Master Control Facility of the
Indian Space Research Organization is located here.
*
Hassan*
Alur*
Belur*
Arasikere*
Sakleshpur*
Channarayanapatana*
Arakalgud*
HolenarasipuraThe history of Hassan districit is essentially the history of two of the most well known dynasties that have ruled Karnataka, the
Ganga dynasty of Talkad
350 -
999 CE. and the
Hoysalas of
Belur and
Halebidu
1000 -
1334 CE.
Ancient
Around the 300 BCE. Hassan was part of the Mayuran empire. Sage Bhadrabahu arrived from north India in 3rd century BCE. along with many ascetics marking the arrival of Jainism into Karnataka. Some historians believe king
Chandragupta Maurya322 â€"
298 BCE., grand father of emperor
Ashoka was his disciple and accompanied Bhadrabahu to Sharavanabelagola and eventually died there. Other historians argued that the king was Ashoka's grandson and came later. A
basadi or monument in his name called
Chandragupta basadi still exists today. Whatever the truth about Chandragupta Maurya's lineage, the fact remains that Shravanabelagola has been a place of Jain worship for twenty three centuries.
Medieval
Later Hassan came under the rule of the
Ganga Dynasty of Talkad. The Gangas initially ruled as a soverign power from
350 -
550 CE. and later continued to rule this area as feudatories of
Chalukyas and
Rashtrakutas. In the late 10th century, many Jaina monuments were built at
Shravanabelagola, commissioned by Ganga general
Chamundaraya, including the fifty seven feet tall statue monolithic statue of
Gomateshwara.During the rule of the
Gangas, Shravanabelagola was an important relgious capital. Today it is also a place of great archaeological importance.
Shravana or
Shramana means a Jain ascetic and
Belagola or
Biliya Kola in
Kannada means white pond. Over eight hundred inscriptions which includes eighty from the Hoysala period have been discovered in and around Shravanabelagola covering a period
600 -
1830 CE. and has been enormously helpful in understanding the history not only of Hassan but the history of all the Kingdoms that ruled over Karnataka. Inscriptions are in
Kannada,
Sanskrit,
Tamil,
Marathi,
Marwari and Mahajani languages and are attributed to all the major Kingdoms that have ruled over Karnataka, indicating patronage to Jainism was active thorough out medieval history.
Around
1000 CE., with their complete defeat at the hands of the
Cholas, the Ganga lineage vanished forever from Gangavadi (southern districts of Karnataka). From that time onwards, till
1334 CE,
Hoysalas ruled this region and after their decline, the
Vijayanagar empire took control. After the decline of the Vijayanagar empire, the area came under the rule of the
Mysore Kingdom.
It was under the rule of the
Hoysalas, a clan of hill people whose origins are traced to Angadi in
Chikmagalur District who built a powerful empire from the
malnad region of Karnataka that Hassan reached its zenith of fame, much of which is seen today in the fifty or more Hoysala temples scattered around the country side in the district. Inscriptions in many of these temples speak volumes of the glory of a bygone era, the administration of the Hoysalas, their land reforms, taxation, culture and so on.The Hoysalas, who claim to be of the
yadava race stepped into the shoes of their predecessors, the
Gangas after being feudatories of the
Chalukyas of Kalyani from about
1000 -
1150 CE.After the decline of the Kalyani Chalukya power and constant efforts by Hoysala
Vishnuvardhana to break free of subordination to the Chalukyas, the Hoysalasemerged as an independent power in the middle of the 12th century. Vishnuvardhana who went by the name Bittideva was a Jaina but later changed his name having accepted Vishnavism, a sect of Hinduism.Many historians feel that
Vishnuvardhana was the true maker of the Hoysala empire. Their emergence as a sovereign power was made possible by two decisive victories, one against the Cholas at
Talakad in
1114 CE. after which Vishnuvardhana assumed the titles of
Veera Ganga and
Talakadu Gonda, struck coins in memory of the victory, built the
Keerthi Narayana temple at
Talakad and the famous
Chennakeshava temple at Belur and took control of Gangavadi. The other was a sensational victory over the mighty Chalukya forces of
Vikramaditya VI at Kannegal in
1118 CE. However it was only after the death of Vikramaditya VI that Vishnuvardhana was able to gain control over central regions of present day Karnataka in Hangal, Uchchangi, Banavasi and Barkapura.During the rule of his grandson,
Veera Ballala II
1173 â€"
1220 CE. who earned the title
Cholarajyapratishtacharya or preserver of the Chola kingdom, the Hoysalas were able to become a true force to reckon with in South India. During this time, Hassan became the epicenter of Kannada literary and cultural activities.
The Hoysalas claim to immortality arises from their contribution to Karnataka culture, Kannada literature and their own unique style of
vesara architecture.
Historians such as Henry Cousens and James Furgusson observed that the Hoysala style of architecture is essentially an extension and culmination of the
vesara style initiated by the Badami Chalukyas and further enhanced by the Kalyani Chalukyas. In fact, the carved doorways, lathe turned pillars and pierced window screens used frequently by the Hoysalas is also commonly seen in earlier Kalyani Chalukya temples of north and central Karnataka. The Star shaped platform on which many Hoysala temples were constructed, the Jagati, the Zig- Zag character of the walls and the density of sculpture on gray soap stone (chloritic schist) is however a unique features of
Hoysala architecture.
Image:Nuggihalli_LakshmiNarasimha_temple.JPG|LakshmiNarasimha Temple, Trikuta architecture, NuggihalliImage:Doddagaddavalli_Lakshmidevi_temple1.JPG¦¦Lakshmidevi Temple, pancakuta architecture, DoddagaddavalliImage:Nuggihalli Sadashiva temple vimana.JPG|Sadashiva Temple, Ekakuta architecture, NuggihalliImage:Halebidu_Kedareshwara_temple1.JPG|Kedareshwara Temple, Vesara architecture Halebid Image:Halebidu_Kedareshwara_temple.JPG|Kedareshwara Temple, Vesara architecture HalebidImage:Halebidu_Hoysaleshwara_temple.JPG|Profile of Hoysaleshwara Temple, HalebidImage:Halebidu_Hoysaleshwara_temple1.JPG|Hoysaleshwara Temple, Vesara architecture HalebidImage:Belur_Chennakeshava_pillars.JPG|Chennakeshava Temple, Ornate pillars BelurImage:Halebidu_Hoysaleshwara_navaranga.JPG|Hoysaleshwara Temple, Ornate navaranga HalebidImage:Belur_Chennakeshava_temple.JPG|Chennakeshava Temple, Vesara architecture BelurImage:Korvangla_Bucheshwara_temple.JPGBucheshwara Temple, Ekakuta architecture KorvanglaImage:Haranhalli_Keshava_temple.JPG|Keshava Temple, HaranhalliImage:Haranhalli_Someshwara_temple.JPG|Someshwara Temple, HaranhalliHassan district has a special place in
Kannada history in that
Halmidi, a tiny village in
Belur taluk is the home of the oldest known
Kannada language inscription in Kannada script dated 450 CE. The inscription whose date is sometimes debated as 425 CE. is attributed to king Kakusthavarma, great-great-grand son of king
Mayurasharma, founder of the Kadamba dynasty.
Lying between 12° 13´ and 13° 33´ North latitudes and 75° 33´ and 76°38´ East longitude, Hassan district has a total area of 6826.15 km². It is divided into 8 talikus, 38 hoblies & 2369 villages.The geography is mixed with the
malnad or mountainous region to the west and south west called
Bisle Ghat and the
maidan or planis regions in the north, south and east. There are some areas of degraded forest ranges in central portion of the district.
The district is surrounded by
Chikmagalur District to the north west,
Chitradurga District to the north,
Tumkur District to the east,
Mandya District to the south east,
Mysore to the south,
Kodagu District to the south west and
Dakshina Kannada district to the west.
The district had a population of 1,721,669 of which 17.70% were urban as of 2001. Of this 859086 were males and 862583 were female with a decadal population increase of 9.92%.The population density is 251 people/km². Kannada is spoken by a vast majority of the people in thedistrict. About 5% of the total population are muslims. A community of
Hebbar Iyengars who speak a
Kannada -
Tamil mixed language have lived here for centuries.
Tourism and coffee are the two main sources of income of Hassan district. Coffee is grown in the
malnad areas of Sakleshpura. Other that this, farmers grow black pepper, paddy and sugarcane.Hassan district has forty five monuments that receive protection from authorities. Twenty four of these are designated as state protected while the remaining twenty one are protected by the
Archaeological Survey of India and are hence of national importance.
Concerns
According to estimates, in the year 2005, 800,000 tourists visited the temples of Hassan district. However concerns remain that the true and full tourism potential may not have been exploited in the district.Some of the sculptures and monuments in
Channakeshava temple at
Belur and the
Hoysaleshwara temple at
Halebidu have been damaged by vandals. The ASI has blamed lack of manpower to fully guard the premises effectively. A blame game between the Department of Tourism and ASI has been ongoing.
Concerned people have complained that some of the protected temples are not in good condition including
Keshava and
Someshwara temples at Harnahalli,
Nageshwara and
Channakeshava temples at Mosale,
Channakeshava (
Allanatha) Temple at Kondajji. Some temples which are really worth visiting should be on the tourist circuit too they said. These are the
Lakshminarasimha temple at Nuggehalli,
Lakshmidevi temple at Doddagaddavalli and
Lakshminarayana temple at Adagur.
Proposals
* A proposal has been sent to the government for the development of some Hoysala temples and tourist places, including Ramanathapura, Shanthigrama, Sriramadevarakatte and the Gorur Dam.
* Develop eight
parisara vana or environmental parks in eight taluks of the district.
* Lion safari at Gendekatte forest in an area of 120 hectares.
* Develop an 'eco-tourism at Belasinda forest area of Channarayapatna taluk on 100 acres of land.
* Sandalwood conservation centre on 2000 acres at Sriramadevarahalla of Belur taluk.
* Eco-tourism in Bisle forest area of Sakleshpur taluk.
* Medicinal plants park at Hirekallugudda forest area of Arsikere taluk.
Much of culture of Hassan district in the past is linked with the
Hoysala and
Ganga dynasty rulers who ruled over this area. Initially the Gangas were Hindus but by the time of king Shivamara II (
785 CE., took to Jainism. The Hoysalas were Jains too and the mythical founder of the empire
sala was said to be blessed by the Jain sage Sudatta Muni. Some of the successive rulers were also Jains until
Ramanujacharya came to Hassan to escape persecution from the
Cholas in early 12th century. During this time
Vishnuvardhana was influenced by Ramanujacharya and accepted Hinduism, though his wife Shantaladevi continued to follow Jainism, setting an example of religious tolarance. In fact the
Channigraya temple in Belur was commissioned by her during the time the nearby famous
Chennakeshava temple was being built. This tolerance is alive even today and can be seen in the importance given by the district administration and people in general to Jain religious events like
Mahamastakabhisheka, long after Jainism has ceased to be the main religious practice of this region. While Most of the Hoysala monuments in Hassan are
Hindu, and date between the 11th c. - 13th c. CE, the monuments of
Shravanabelagola are a colossal effort of the Jain
Ganga dynasty who ruled from about
350 -
999 CE. and is one of the most important Jain pilgrimage sites for in India.
Today, Hassan is a largely agrarian community with a charm that is essentially similar to that of
Mysore District, except the palaces and colonial buildings of Mysore are replaced with exquisite
vesara monuments built by the Hoysalas. One does not have to travel more than a few kilometers to visit the next monument on the list. Its cuisine is a mix of
Mysore,
Kodagu and
Dakshina Kannada districts resulting in tasty specialities like
midigayi pickle (small raw mango),
sandige,
avalakki (beaten rice), and
talipittu (
akki rotti made of rice flour).
Hebbar Iyengars are an ancient brahmin community settled in this area for more than a thousand years. An inscription in Shantigrama indicates that the founder was a brahmin from Kashi. Hassan Iyengars, a different brahmin community are well known all over south Karnataka for their tasty condiment preparations like cakes, puffs and biscuits and breads etc. Iyengar bakeries are a common feature in most towns and cities of Karnataka.
Hassan is also called as
Poor man's Ooty. Its Bisle ghat area has the same scenic beauty of the
Nilgiri district if Tamil Nadu without the rapid and extensive commercialization. Hassan is a place where Kannada literature finds famous personalities like
Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar*
Belur, 34 km from Hassan town is situated on the banks of Yagachi river. The Chennakeshava temple built by
Hoysala king
Vishnuvardhana in
1117 AD is a monument of supreme architectural beauty. The intricate carvings on its stone walls and the gravity pillars in the courtyard are the unique features of this temple.
*Gorur, 22 km from Hassan town is where a dam across the river Hemavathi has been built. This place is a pleasant picnic spot.
*
Halebidu, 39 km from Hassan town and 16 km from
Belur is the home of the famous Hoysaleshwara temple. Built in 1121, the walls of the temple are covered with detailed friezes and sculptures depicting scenes narrated in great Hindu epics. another famous temple near here is the
Kadareshwara temple known for the rich quality of its sculptures.
*
Shravanabelagola, 52 km from Hassan town is a popular Jain piligrimage center. It is wedged between two rocky hills, Indragiri and Chandragiri. The monolithic statue of Lord Gomateshwara, a Jain saint standing atop the Indragiri hill is 17 meters tall and is said to be one of the tallest monolithic statues in the world. About 1100 years old, the statue was commissioned by Chavundaraya, army commander of the
Ganga Dynasty that ruled southern Karnataka from about
350 AD–
999 AD.
Mahamastakabhisheka is a ceremony held here once every 12 years when devotees offer prayers to the great Jain saint.
The temples of Belur, Halebidu and Shravanabelagola are a proposed UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
Hassan district is full of other Hoysala architectural gems scattered around the countryside. Important among them are the Hoysala temples of
* Hulikere (ornate steppe tank or
Kalyani)
* Pushpagiri (
Mallikarjuna,
Bhairava temples)
* Doddagadavalli (
Lakshmidevi temple)
* Koravangala (
Govindeshwara,
Nakeshwara and
Bucheshwara temples)
* Kondajji (
Vishnu temple)
* Adagur (
Lakshminarayana temple)
* Chatachatahalli (
Chatteshwara temple)
* Javagal (
Narasimha temple)
* Haranahalli (
Keshava and
Someshwara temples)
* Arasikere (
Ishwara temple)
* Hullekere (
Channakeshava temple)
* Shantigrama (
Channakeshavaswamy temple)
* Nuggehalli (
Lakshminarasimha and
Sadashiva temple)
* Sakleshpura (
Sakaleswara temple)
* Manjarabad (fort and dungeons)
* Ramnathapura (
Rameshwara temple)
* Gorur (
Paravasudeva temple and Dam over river)
* Basadihalli (
Adinatha Basadi,
Parshwanath Basadi and
Saantinatha Basadi)
* Malekal Tirupathi (
Venkata Ramanna and
Govidaraja temple)
* Shantigrama (
Yoganarsimha,
Dharmeshwara and
Keshava temples)
* Anekere (
Chennakaesava temple)
* Mallarajapatna (
Lakshmaneshwara temple)
* Mavathanahalli (
Mahalingeshwara temple)
* Anathi (
Lakshminarayana temple)
* Hebbalalu (
Singeshwara temple)
* Jinanathapura (
Shantinatha basadi)
* Ambugu (
Prasanna Chennakeshava temple)
* Heragu (
Kirthinarayana temple)
* Mosale (
Nageshwara and
Channakeshava temples)
* Holenarasipura (
Narasimha temple)
* Honnavara (Keshava'' temple)
*
Halmidi (Inscription)
*
Western Ghats*
H.D. Deve Gowda, former prime minister
*
H.D.Kumaraswamy, current chief minister of Karnataka
*
Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar, Kannada literature
*
Raja Ramanna, Scientist, Leader of the team which created India's first atomoic bomb.
*
Vishnuvardhana, Hoysala king
*
Veera Ballala, Hoysala king
Hoysala DynastyHoysala architecture*
History of Shravanabelagola*
History of Karnataka, Arthikaje*
Hoysala Tourism*
Census India*
Protected Monuments of Hassan*
In and Around Shravanabelagola
