Hoysaleshwara Temple, Halebidu

Hoysaleshwara Temple at Halebidu is the largest Hoysala monument ever built and a masterpiece of Indian temple sculpture. Constructed in the 12th century CE, this twin-shrined temple (one for Hoysaleshwara and one for Shanthaleshwara) was the royal capital temple of the empire. It was never completed — it was sacked twice by the Delhi Sultanate forces of Malik Kafur in 1311 CE and 1327 CE.

Despite lacking a shikhara (tower), the temple is awe-inspiring. Its outer walls carry the most extensive continuous narrative friezes in Hoysala art — nine horizontal bands of sculptures including thousands of elephants, lions, horses, scrolling foliage, geese, scenes from the epics, and rows of deities. The colossal Nandi bull facing the main shrine is one of the most impressive sculptures in South India.

It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023 as part of the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas.