engineering

Harihareshwara Temple

Harihareshwara Temple is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Harihareshwara Temple rather than just read about it. In short: Harihareshwara Temple is a Hindu temple situated in Harihar, Karnataka state, India. The temple was built in c. 1223–1224 CE by Polalva, a commander and minister of the Hoysala Empire King Vira Narasimha II.

Key takeaways

Harihareshwara Temple belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Harihareshwara Temple to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Harihareshwara Temple from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Harihareshwara Temple is a Hindu temple situated in Harihar, Karnataka state, India. The temple was built in c. 1223–1224 CE by Polalva, a commander and minister of the Hoysala Empire King Vira Narasimha II. In 1268 CE, Soma, a commander of King Narasimha III of the same dynasty made some additions. The temple houses the deity Harihara, a fusion of the Hindu gods Vishnu and Shiva. The image of the deity is a fusion of the right vertical half of Shiva and the left vertical half of Vishnu. The image holds in its right hand, the attributes of Shiva and in the left hand, those of Vishnu.

Legend According to a Hindu legend, a demon named Guha (or Guhasura) once lived in these parts and a considerable surrounding region, from Uchchangi Durga in the east, Govinahalu in the south, Mudanur in the west, and Airani in the north was under his control. Guha successfully appeased Hindu god Brahma with his penance and obtained a boon, by virtue of which, it would be impossible for either Hari (Vishnu) or Hara (Shiva) to singly kill him. Guha then became a regular tormentor of gods and humans alike. In order to overcome Brahma's boon and eliminate Guha, Vishnu and Shiva together took the form of Harihara (a fusion), came down to earth, and killed the demon. The descent of the incarnation on earth is said to be at nearby Kudalur, at the confluence of the rivers Tungabhadra and Haridra.

Temple plan

The temple is constructed in a staggered square mantapa (hall) plan, typical of Hoysala constructions. Therefore, the outer wall of the mantapa shows many projections and recesses. The wall of the mantapa is a parapet wall resting on which are half pillars that support the outer ends of the roof (cornice). The ceiling of the open mantapa is adorned with artistic decoration such as lotuses. The ceiling is supported by lathe turned full pillars. The material used for the temple is soapstone (also called potstone). The original tower over the shrine (Vimana) is missing and has been replaced in modern times with one of brick and mortar. Preserved within the temple premises are several old-Kannada inscriptions and hero stones.

Gallery

Notes

References

Cousens, Henry (1996) [1926]. The Chalukyan Architecture of Kanarese Districts. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India. OCLC 37526233. Rice, B.L. (2001) [1897]. Mysore Gazetteer Compiled for Government-vol 2. New Delhi, Madras: Asian Educational Services. ISBN 81-206-0977-8. Kamath, Suryanath U. (2001) [1980]. A concise history of Karnataka : from pre-historic times to the present. Bangalore: Jupiter books. LCCN 80905179. OCLC 7796041. Foekema, Gerard (1996). Complete Guide to Hoysala Temples. New Delhi: Abhinav. ISBN 81-7017-345-0.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Harihareshwara Temple

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Harihareshwara Temple claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Harihareshwara Temple before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Harihareshwara Temple ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Harihareshwara Temple

In research: Harihareshwara Temple appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Harihareshwara Temple in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Harihareshwara Temple is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Buildings and structures completed in 1224, Hindu temples completed in the 13th century, Hindu temples in Davanagere district, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Harihareshwara Temple outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Harihareshwara Temple” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Harihareshwara Temple in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Harihareshwara Temple means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Harihareshwara Temple out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Harihareshwara Temple in simple terms?

Why does Harihareshwara Temple matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Harihareshwara Temple?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Harihareshwara Temple.