Karnataka > Hassan > Halebidu
Halebidu is located in Hassan District, Karnataka, India.
Halebidu (former Dwarasamudra) in Belur taluk, Hassan dt., 27 kms. away from Hassan was the capital of Hoysalas after Belur. It has one of the finest Hoysala temples said to have been started by Ketamalla, a commander of Vishnuvardhana in a 1121 A.D. The twin Shiva Temples with a common platform and two garbhagrihas, one besides the other have a common broad navaranga. One of them houses Vishnuvardhana Hoysaleshwara Linga and the other Shanthaleshwara Linga. In front of the Hoysaleshwara is the Nandimantapa and behind that is a shrine of Surya with a two-metre-tall image. The temple doorways are highly ornate and impressive. Outer walls have rows of Intricate figures narrating episodes from epics like Ramayana, Bharatha and Bhagavata. The place has a Parshwanatha basadi with highly polished pillars in which onlookers queer images are reflected. There is a Museum of the A.S.I. The Kedareshwara temple is another monument built by Ketaladevi, Ballala Il's Queen. Chatchatnahalli (nearby) has an attractive Hoysala Trikuta temple with rich architectural refinement built by Chatta Dandanayaka in 1220.
In order to make the Halebidu well connected with the other places of Indian Territory, transportation system has been improved. Halebidu is only sixteen kilometers from the another historical place , namely, Belur. It is well communicated by road and rail to other places like Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore. From Bangalore, one can reach Halebid which is only 216 kms away. 
There are regular bus services to Hassan. The distance covered is only 149 km to Mysore and 31 km to Hassan.
In the 14th century, this glorious city fell into ruins with the invasion of Malik Kafur, Mughuls, from the North India. This place was ran-sacked and plundered repeatedly rendering it in ruins. Hence its name Haledid, meaning " City in Ruins'.
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