* Battle of Kennagal: The Hoysala Empire defeats the Chalukya.

* 1279 – The Chola Dynasty of South India falls under attacks by the Hoysala Empire and Pandyan kingdom.

Hoysala architecture () is the building style developed under the rule of the Hoysala Empire between the 11th and 14th centuries, in the region known today as Karnataka, a state of India.

The vigorous temple building activity of the Hoysala Empire was due to the social, cultural and political events of the period.

Category: Hoysala Empire

Halebidu ( which was previously called Dorasamudra or Dwarasamudra ) was the regal capital of the Hoysala Empire in the 12th century.

Some of these inscriptions mention the rise and growth in power of the Western Ganga Dynasty, the Rashtrakutas, the Hoysala Empire, the Vijayanagar Empire and the Wodeyar dynasty.

# REDIRECT Hoysala Empire

** Veera Ballala III, ruler of the Hoysala Empire ( b. 1291 )

* The Chola dynasty of South India falls under attacks by the Hoysala Empire and Pandyan Kingdom.

Hoysala architecture is the distinctive building style developed under the rule of the Hoysala Empire in the region historically known as Karnata, today's Karnataka, India, between the 11th and the 14th centuries.

Sala fighting the tiger, the symbol of Hoysala Empire

* Sala, Kannada ( South India ) folk hero who killed a tiger ( see Hoysala Empire # History )

The Kingdom now under Sundara Pandyan revived its infrastructure and military strength to gain autonomy and drive out Hoysala Empire from its political affairs.

Scenarios changed during 1311, when Alauddin Khilji of Khilji dynasty sent his general Malik Kafur on an expedition to the kingdoms of the south which led to the capture of Warangal, the overthrow of the Hoysala Empire south of the Krishna River, and the occupation of Madurai in the extreme south.

# REDIRECT Hoysala Empire

This temple was built by Soma, a Dandanayaka ( commander ) in 1268 under Hoysala king Narasimha III, when the Hoysala Empire was the major power in South India.

# REDIRECT Hoysala Empire

Ala-ud-din ’ s lieutenant, Malik Kafur ( a Muslim Indian ), was sent on an expedition to the south in 1308 which led to the capture of Warangal, the overthrow of the Hoysala Empire south of the Krishna River and the occupation of Madura in the south.

* Hoysala Empire

Large and small temples built during this era remain as examples of the Hoysala architectural style, including the Chennakesava Temple at Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu, and the Kesava Temple at Somanathapura.

Other examples of fine Hoysala craftsmanship are the temples at Belavadi, Amruthapura, Hosaholalu, Mosale, Arasikere, Basaralu, Kikkeri and Nuggehalli.

Temples built prior to Hoysala independence in the mid-12th century reflect significant Western Chalukya influences, while later temples retain some features salient to Chalukyan art but have additional inventive decoration and ornamentation, features unique to Hoysala artisans.

About one hundred temples have survived in present-day Karnataka state, mostly in the Malnad ( hill ) districts, the native home of the Hoysala kings.

As popular tourist destinations in Karnataka, Hoysala temples offer an opportunity for pilgrims and students of architecture to examine medieval Hindu architecture in the Karnata Dravida tradition.

Medieval Kannada language inscriptions displayed prominently at temple locations give details of the temples and offer information about the history of the Hoysala dynasty.

Hoysala temples were not limited to any specific organised tradition of Hinduism and encouraged pilgrims of different Hindu devotional movements.

Hoysala temples have distinct parts that are merged to form a unified organic whole, in contrast to the temples of Tamil country where different parts of a temple stand independently.

Although superficially unique, Hoysala temples resemble each other structurally.

Most Hoysala temples have a plain covered entrance porch supported by lathe turned ( circular or bell-shaped ) pillars which were sometimes further carved with deep fluting and moulded with decorative motifs.

These features were the use of chloritic schist or soapstone as a basic building material, pierced stone window screens which were very popular in Hoysala temples, and the vimana which follows a stellate pattern.

It is home to one of the best examples of Hoysala architecture in the ornate Hoysaleswara and Kedareswara temples.

Large and small temples built during this era remain as examples of the Hoysala architectural style, including the Chennakesava Temple at Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu, and the Kesava Temple at Somanathapura.

Other examples of fine Hoysala craftmanship are the temples at Belavadi, Amrithapura, and Nuggehalli.

About a 100 Hoysala temples survive today.

The Place has a historic value, with temples of near Hoysala time.

Turuvekere boasts of many fine Hoysala temples.

Among several styles of Sikharas that obtain in Hindu temple architecture, the three most common ones are the " Dravidian " style prevalent in southern India and the " Nagar " style prevalent almost everywhere else and the third style born from the synthesis of the other two called the Vesara style, seen mostly in Karnataka and most commonly in Hoysala and later Chalukya temples.

The Hoysala temples at Belur, Halebidu and Somnathpura are supreme examples of this style.

However, two notable locations of Jain worship in the Hoysala territory were Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli.

Other dynasties of Satavahana, Chalukya, Pallava, Rashtrakuta, Kakatiya and Hoysala were at their peak during various periods of history.

This was because other feudatories of the Hoysalas were also growing in power and threatening the Hoysala kingdom itself.

Ultimately, the Kadava Pallavas, Hoysalas and also the Telugu Choda Timma who invaded Kanchi were all one by one vanquished by Jatavarman Sundara Pandiyan with the Cholas finally becoming extinct after defeat of Hoysala Ramanatha as well as his ally Rajendra iii around 1279 by Maravarman Kulasekhara Pandiyan.

While doing so the Pandya had to be wary of the newly risen dynasty of Hoysala in South Karnataka, which were pro Chola in at first and became pro Pandya only later on.

During the Hoysala supremacy also different tracts of this district were being administered by different local chiefs.

Several Hoysala generals including Singana were killed and great amount of loot was captured along with many horses, elephants and women.

There were many powerful dynasties in India such as the Maha Janapadas, Shishunaga Empire, Gangaridai Empire, Nanda Empire, Maurya Empire, Sunga Empire, Kharavela Empire, Kuninda Kingdom, Chola Empire, Chera Empire, Pandyan Empire, Satavahana Empire, Western Satrap Empire, Kushan Empire, Vakataka Empire, Kalabhras Kingdom, Gupta Empire, Pallava Empire, Kadamba Empire, Western Ganga Kingdom, Vishnukundina Empire, Chalukya Empire, Harsha Empire, Shahi Kingdom, Eastern Chalukya Kingdom, Pratihara Empire, Pala Empire, Rashtrakuta Empire, Paramara Kingdom, Yadava Empire, Solanki Kingdom, Western Chalukya Empire, Hoysala Empire, Sena Empire, Eastern Ganga Empire, Kakatiya Kingdom, Kalachuri Empire, Delhi Sultanate, Deccan Sultanates, Ahom Kingdom, Vijayanagar Empire, Mysore Kingdom, Mughal Empire, Maratha Empire, Sikh Empire etc.

But by 14th century, the Kolathiris were vassals of Hoysala Empire.