Hoysala Art

Hoysalas were a dynasty of rulers in Western Mysore. They were the descendants of Yadavas. The ancient capital of Hoysalas was Dorasamudra.

Palm leaf paintings (pic source: google images)

Belur temple carvings (pic source: google images)

King Vishnuvardhana, during his rule, built beautiful temples and embellished them with the finest art. The temple at Belur is a gem of Hoysala art. The architecture and sculpture all over Mysore display marvellous sculptural wealth of the Hoysalas.It is said that Hoysala paintings are preserved in Moodbidri. These paintings are dated back to 1113 A.D. and are called “Dhavala”. These paintings are in bright colours on unusually large palm leaves. These paintings are painted with soft tones reducing the effect of contrasting colors.

The borders in these manuscript reveal great taste and elegance. The floral patterns are very unique and represented beautifully in Hoysala Art.

References: Indian Painting, published by National Book Trust and “Hoysala 11-13th century A.D” by Sivaramamurthy.