Chandramouleswara Temple - Hindu temple in Arsikere - Hassan, India

An ancient Temple from Hoysala time period. Well maintained and peaceful environment. There was some construction work going on to fix some stones in the temple when we visited. The main Temple is very beautiful. Most of the carvings were partially destroyed. A good visit in Arsikere.

Superb. But it seems before archeological dept. restored it, anti-social elements had damaged the temple and deliberately/fanatically destroyed the faces of stone carved idols.

Temple maintained very clean. But Pooja only in the morning hours. , I sat in the temple nearly two hours. No disturb. Very calm, and quite clean. One can meditate here.

This Ishwara Temple which is perhaps the most complicated of all Hoysala Temples in terms of architecture. Surrounded by manicured green lawns, you know it is special the moment you catch sight of the mukhamantapa (open hall) which is shaped like a 16 pointed star and is capped with a hollow dome and it deviates from the norms of Hoysala Architecture. It has one entrance and the inside of the parapet wall provides a seating bench. The plan makes it an ideal place for an intimate gathering or for an afternoon siesta. The east facing temple is of the ekakuta type (one sanctum) and has two halls, one open and one closed. The entrance to the temple is also unusually placed and is at the bay connecting the two halls. Though there are no clear records of when the temple was built and by whom, historians date it to around 1220 AD and the temple is well preserved today. The sanctum houses a linga and a vestibule connects it to the closed hall which has an elaborately decorated ceiling with figures from mythology. The panels of Ashtadikpalakas and Dashavatara are worth mentioning. The closed hall too has a stellate plan and is complicated in design. There is a symmetrically stellate tower atop the sanctum, again a very complicated plan because the points of the star are not identical but are a combination of three different kinds of star points! This left me spell-bound as it is difficult to execute such a complicated plan with such artistry and hence it testifies the brilliance of Hoysala Temple Architecture. Unfortunately, the Hoysala symbol of Sala slaying a lion which usually sits atop the nose of the shrine is replaced with an ugly looking bull. The complicated plan of the tower gives the entire shrine an intricate appearance. The outer walls are covered with beautiful images chiselled uniformly. There are sculptures of both Shiva and Vishnu even though the temple is dedicated to Shiva. There is also a rectangular pillared hall next the main shrine, in line with it. It houses half-a-dozen lingas and is definitely a later addition. It was founded by the Hoysalas and its name is derived from 'arsiya kere' which means queen's lake referring to the large man-made lake on the outskirts of the town.

I always like old stone temples. You can feel such immense dedication and effort for the Supreme lord. I sat for minutes in silence and observation in temple sannidhi. It's calm and pure for mind which is meditative and learning.

Beautiful Shivalaya Hoyasala architecture Must visit place

Shiva as Chandramouleshwar in Ancient temple built in 1227 by Hoysala dynasties. Marvelous and intricate carvings in each and every corner. Needs to maintain the legacy inherited. The temple is in dilapidated condition.

The Chandramouleswara/ Ishvara temple, also referred to as the Ishwara or Isvara temple, is an early 13th-century Hindu temple in Arsikere. It is 60km from Belur. There are 3 Shiva lingam there, one of them is one of the most beautiful I have seen. The Ishvara temple was constructed using soapstone. It is modest in size, yet with a sophisticated architecture because of its ground plan: a 16-point star-shaped mantapa (hall) and a stellate shrine with each corner distinct