Hosaholalu is a small village near K R Pet, home to a beautiful Hoysala style temple dedicated to Lord Lakshminarayana. According to a stone inscription in the village, this temple was built around 1125 AD by Nolamba Setty, during the period of Veera Ganga Narasimha Ballala, and also by Nandinatha Veerabhadra Deva. The temple has retained its original form and is in a good state of preservation. The general features of the village indicate that this place must have been originally a flourishing agrahara. The old village has practically disappeared, leaving Hosaholalu a newly constructed village of agriculturists and weavers.
The main temple is of Hoysala Trikutachala or a three-celled temple, built on a platform about one metre high, following almost the contour of the temple. The structure of the main cell on the west is in the shape of a sixteen-pointed star, and is intact with shikara, kalasha, etc. The cells on the north and south are square in plan. The temple has only one tower over the main shrine.
The outer walls of the main temple are extensively carved all around. They begin at the bottom with a frieze of elephants of the usual type, interspaced by the figure of a man fighting a tusker. Another frieze illustrates scenes from the Hindu epics Ramayana, Bhagavatha and Mahabharata. There is another frieze of carved swans. The central row is the most outstanding one which consists of carefully sculptured and proportioned idols such as Natya Ganapati, Natya Saraswathi, Madhava, Mohini, Parvathi, Narasimha and many others. The chief idols themselves are slightly less than a metre in height. The pedestals form one continuous row, ornamented with creeper scroll having lion faces in the corners and birds or Garuda in the convolutions.
The pillars in the hall of the main navaranga are of the usual, round, lathe-turned type with fine beaded work. These pillars have mostly carved groups of dancers with the usual accompaniments. Some of these dancers are in interesting poses like the Madanika figures of the Belur temple. Below these pillars is a fine scrollwork.
The three sides of the main hall have the usual type of sanctums. The main deity of the temple, Lakshminarayana, a beautiful idol about two meters high, stands in the centre of the western shrine. On the other side of this cell is a niche containing beautifully carved figures of Ganapathi on the south and Mahishamardini on the north. The original idol of Venugopala which stood on its Garuda pedestal in the southern shrine is missing. Instead, the processional deity is housed in this shrine. The northern cell is very similar to that of the south having a fine idol of Lakshmi Narasimha, an original Hoysala sculpture.
Travel tips:
Hosaholalu is only 63 km from Mysore and can be easily reached through an excellent road. Many buses operate on this route. Taxis can be arranged from Mysore. Hosaholalu is almost a part of KR Pet and can be reached by an auto from the bus stand. A PWD Guest House is available at K R Pet for overnight stay.