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Question 40 of 93 · Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms
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The star-shaped (stellate) plan of temples is a distinctive feature of temples built during the reign of the:

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Answer: Option C — Hoysalas

Detailed Solution

The star-shaped (stellate) ground plan is a distinctive feature of temples built by the Hoysala dynasty of Karnataka, in the 12th and 13th centuries.

About Hoysala temples:

  • They were built on raised platforms (jagati), which were also star-shaped, and which provided a path for circumambulation.
  • They were built mainly of soft soapstone (chloritic schist), which is easy to carve when freshly quarried and hardens with time.
  • This allowed the sculptors to create extremely fine and detailed carvings, including jewellery, hair, clothing and tiny figures.
  • The outer walls have horizontal bands (friezes) of carvings, showing elephants, horses, lions, birds, scrolls, and scenes from the epics and Puranas.
  • They often have lathe-turned pillars, which are round and highly polished.
  • Many Hoysala temples have multiple shrines (one, two, three or even five), around a common hall.
  • The style is sometimes described as a variety of the "Vesara" style, which combines features of the northern (Nagara) and southern (Dravida) styles.

Famous Hoysala temples:

  • Chennakeshava Temple at Belur: built by King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE, to celebrate his victory over the Cholas.
  • Hoysaleshwara Temple at Halebidu (Dwarasamudra): dedicated to Shiva; famous for its rich carvings.
  • Keshava Temple at Somanathapura: built in 1268 CE; a fine example of a triple-shrined (trikuta) temple with a star-shaped plan.

UNESCO recognition:

The "Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas" (Belur, Halebidu and Somanathapura) were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in September 2023.

About the Hoysalas:

  • They ruled in southern Karnataka from the 10th to the 14th centuries.
  • Their capital was Dwarasamudra (Halebidu), which was attacked by the forces of the Delhi Sultanate in the early 14th century.
  • Their emblem showed Sala, the legendary founder, fighting a lion (or tiger).

Why not the other options?

  • ✗The Pallavas built the shore temple and rock-cut temples at Mahabalipuram.
  • ✗The Cholas built the great temples of Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram.
  • ✗The Chandelas built the temples of Khajuraho.

Quick tip

Remember: star-shaped (stellate) temple plan = Hoysalas (soapstone; Belur, Halebidu, Somanathapura; UNESCO 2023 "Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas").

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Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers India from about the 7th to the 12th century: the Rajput dynasties, the tripartite struggle between the Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas, and the South Indian kingdoms of the Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas, along with the Sangam age and the temple architecture of the period. Questions often ask which dynasty built a temple (the Pallavas built the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, and Rajaraja Chola I built the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur), the capitals of dynasties, and the local self-government of the Cholas. Learning each dynasty with its capital, greatest ruler and one monument is the quickest way to answer these questions. Practise the early medieval India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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