This month’s quiz is on the famous Archeological and Architectural sites of Belur and Halebidu, located a few hours drive from Bengaluru.
1. Which prominent empire/dynasty constructed the temples at Belur and Halebidu?
a. Chozha dynasty
b. Hoysala dynasty
c. Pallava dynasty
2. What is the name of the famous temple in the town of Belur?
a. Chennakeshava temple
b. Murudeshwara temple
c. Dharmasthala Manjunatha temple
3. Which is the temple that Halebidu is most well known for?
a. Kateel Durgaparameshwari temple
b. Kukke Subramanya temple
c. Hoysaleswara temple
4. What is it about these temples that attracts thousands of visitors and tourists every year?
a. The beauty of the location
b. The beauty of the architecture and sculptures of the temples
c. Because of the holy lake on its premises
5. What unique shape of the buildings is a feature in many temples built by the Hoysalas?
a. Circular shape
b. Star shape
c. Oval shape
6. Name the deity in Belur Chennakeshava temple.
a. Shiva
b. Krishna
c. Rama
7. Name the presiding deity in the Halebidu Hoysaleshwara temple.
a. Narasimha
b. Shiva
c. Krishna
8. In which Indian state are Belur and Halebidu located?
a. Kerala
b. Orissa
c. Karnataka
9. Belur is located on the banks of ________________.
a. Tungabhadra river
b. Yagachi river
c. Cauvery river
10. What was the original name of Belur?
a. Velapuri
b. Udipi
c. Dwarasamudra
11. Name the king who built the Belur and Halebidu temples.
a. King Shivaji
b. King Krishnadevaraya
c. King Vishnuvardhan
12. About how many years did it take for the Belur temple to be constructed?
a. Fifty-five years
b. Seventy-six years
c. One hundred and three years
13. How is Lord Shiva worshiped in the Hoysaleswara temple?
a. In the form of a Shiva Linga
B. In the form of Lord Nataraja
c. In the form of Dakshinamuthy
14. Halebidu was once called Dwarasamudra. What does this term refer to?
a. Gateway to the seas
b. Gateway to the temples
c. Gateway to Vaikunta
15. Hoysaleswara temple is a twin temple which is dedicated to _______________ and
______________ Shiva lingas.
a. Hoysaleswara and Santaleshwara
b. Hoysaleswara and Chennakeshava
c. Chennakeshava and Vijayanarayana
16. What does ‘Halebidu’ refer to?
a. Beautiful town, because it is a lovely quaint town
b. Old capital, because it was the capital of the Hoysalas
c. Temple town, because it is home to a number of temples
Compiled by Ramya Srinivasan, San Jose CA
Answers:
1 – b, 2 – a, 3 – c, 4 – b, 5 – b , 6 – b, 7 – b, 8 – c, 9 – b, 10 – a, 11 – c, 12 – c, 13 – a, 14 – a, 15 – a, 16 – b
