Jain Basadi complex in Halebidu, Hassan district, Karnataka consists of three Jain Basadis (Basti or temples) dedicated to the Jain Tirthankars Parshvanath, Shantinath and Adinath. The complex is situated near Kedareshwara temple and Dwarasamudra lake. These temples were constructed in the 12th century during the reign of Hoysala Empire along with Kedareshwara temple and Hoysaleswara Temple, and have been proposed to be listed under UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Halebidu was the capital of the Hoysala Empire between the 11th to 14th century CE when Jainism maintained a strong presence in the region. The region was called Dorasamudra or Dwarasamundra during the rule of Hoysala. Bittiga (later became Vishnuvardhana), is considered the greatest ruler of Hoysala kingdom and was a Jain till around 1115 AD, after which he converted to Vaishnavism under the influence of the Hindu saint Ramanujacharya. King Vishnuvardhana's wife Shantala Devi, remained a devout follower of Jainism. These temple were later maintained by Maharaja of Mysore. There are three basadis in this complex.
The Parshvanatha Basadi was built by Boppadeva in 1133 A.D. during the reign of King Vishnuvardhana. Boppadeva was the son of the notable Gangaraja, a minister under Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana. The construction of the temple coincided with the victory of Narasimha I as the royal heir to the throne. The deity therefore is called Vijaya Parsvanatha (victorious Parsvanatha). Parshvanatha Basadi is notable for its architecture. This temple is famous for the beautiful navaranga halls and exquisite carvings on the lathe-turned pillars. Along with being rich in sculptures, the temple also features carvings of the life-scenes of Tirthankaras on the ceiling panel of mukhamandapa. There is a famous image of Padmavati with three hooded cobra over her head and with fruits in three hands and a weapon in fourth. The temple also features niches for idols of the 24 tirthankaras
The Shantinatha Basadi was built around 1192 A.D., during the reign of Veera Ballala II.
The Adinatha Basadi is the smallest of the Jain basadis also built in c. 12th century. A monolith of Bahubali which was present inside this temple but is now displayed outside Halebidu museum.
In 1930, the temples along with the town were plundered by Malik Kafur, general of Alauddin Khilji and were destroyed in a period of 16 years during the Siege of Dwarasamudra, and the invasion by Muhammad bin Tughluq was followed shortly after the during the Siege of Dwarasamudra.
🎗️EXCAVATIONS:
In 2019, the remains of Jain temple were found near Parshvanatha Basadi. In the excavated structure around ten sculptures were found, these sculptures have been moved to Halebid museum. ASI started constructing a compound wall around the Jain complex but during construction few Jain sculptures were found along with the basement structure of another Jain temple, which too have been moved to the museum. However, the temple structure was damaged due to the use of heavy earthmoving machinery. The remains of a 98 ft × 66 ft Jain temple built in the time of Hoysala dynasty has just been discovered near the Shantinatha Basadi during an excavation in February 2021. Many artefacts and sculptures were discovered in the temple site. A 2 feet Jain Upasaka sculpture was also discovered along with the temple remains.
According to A.Aravazhi, assistant archeologist in Archaeological Survey of India, Halebidu has many Jain temples built during the reign of Hoysala...
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