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1160 AD. Kalyani tank,Hulikere, Karnataka tripfrolic.blogspot.com
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1000 year old Kalyani ornate tank, Halebidu, KA ritzytours.blogspot.com/
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Karnataka has the largest number of monuments of historical value in India next to Uttar Pradesh state and efforts are afoot by the state and central governments to preserve many of the damaged sites in this state for the posterity. One of the antiquated site is near Hulikere, a suburb of Dorasamudra (Halebidu), the erstwhile capital of the Hoysalas. According to the inscription found at this place it belongs to the reign of Hoysala Narasimha I (1152-1173 AD) - official name - Lattayya. He built a temple Bhuvana-bhushana Lattesvara and executed an ornate temple tank called Kalyani in 1160 AD at this place.
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Hassan District, Karnataka. asibengalurucircle.in/
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This temple is dedicated to God Shiva, there are no temple remains on the site. But the highly ornamental water tank, despite aging due to time and vagaries of weather has not lost its beauty and splendor. Hulikere, is 5 kms from Halebidu on Halebidu – Hagare road (District Hassan). Here lies a unique and well-built ornate water tank in Hoysala style which is part of the Shiva temple with descending steps leading to the water source down below. The tank has three landing sites that have as many as twenty-seven ornamental miniature shrines, some having superstructure while others do not have it. The presumption is these 27 miniature shrines are dedicated to 27 stars (nakshatra). This step well differs from those in Gujarat and Rajasthan where the steps are set in stunning geometrical patterns and at lower levels in the well, there are ornamental mantaps - halls . Their ornamentation defy our imagination. They are the source of water in the semi arid area, That this Kalyani tank was built for the bathing purpose of the queen is a questionable one.
Originally, the Hoysalas were not ancestral rulers but tribal leaders. They successfully rebelled against the Chalukyas. The tribal leaders went on to establish their own kingdom with capitals initially at Velapuri and later at Dwarasamudra. The Hoysalas were great warriors and equally great builders of artistic temples Today, the two towns are known as Belur and Halebeedu. It is said that the ruler Narashimha I spotted a dilapidated temple in a secluded place while traveling from Belur to Halebidu. He, as requested by locals and other, made special arrangement to keep the oil lamp burning in the temple. The veracity of this legend has to be verified. This tank gets filled up two thirds during the rainy season and the water level goes down in the summer. Lots of tourists come to Helebidu and to this place.
With poor infrastructure this place remains unnoticed to countless tourists who miss this site. If the Karnataka Tourism Department gives wide publicity in the print media and improves the basic amenities around this site, they can rope in more tourists to this historical place. This old temple water tank - sort of step-well type is worth a visit.
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