A Thousand Elephants

1248 of them to be precise! They form the bottom tier of the incredibly ornate temple at Belur. Even more amazing is that no two of them are alike.

Belur is just a few hours away from Bangalore, India. The temple is more than 900 years now and is carved out of soapstone. I learnt that soapstone is easy to chisel when freshly excavated and it hardens once exposed to the elements.

The elephants are at the bottom for a reason. They represent the strength of the foundations of the structure, symbolic of the kingdom. The other animal figures include horses for speed and lions for power.

The very interesting part about the Belur architecture is that every element has a reason and story behind it. The temple is adorned with sculptures on the mahabharata, daily life, dances and Gods. Only an expert guide can help us interpret these.

Moreover, these structures took several decades to complete. Some of these artisans completed just a few statues over their complete lifetime. Amazing patience and dedication, you would agree. After all, the customers were really Kings.

When you visit Belur, do visit Halebedu and Shravanbelagola close by. Best to stay in Belur out of these places though.