Welsh architect Adam Hardy to help build the Hoysala-styled temple in Venkatapura. Adam Hardy is the Professor of Asian Architecture at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University. It took eight years of planning and replanning before the construction started a few days ago.
The Hoysala-style architecture is 800 years old, but it still has a great deal of importance in contemporary architecture. Precisely why, Welsh architect Adam Hardy chose to do extensive research on it and is now heading a team to build a similar temple in a remote village in Karnataka.
The ground work is in progress and it is said that the temple will be made of soapstone, instead of sandstone and it will be located a few kilometers away from Mulbagal in Kolar district of Karnataka. The temple is likely to come up on seven acres of land and is designed to be bigger even than the Belur Chennakeshava temple. The Vimana or the tower is likely to stand at 108 feet.
Given the expertise that Adam Hardy has in this field of architecture, he has been made to lead the expedition. It is to be noted that he is also the Professor of Asian Architecture at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University.
Commissioned on public interest, the temple was the dream of the father of the treasurer of the Sri Kalyana Venkateshwara Hoysala Art Foundation. "It was my father’s dream to have a temple in Venkatapura," said a nostalgic Aravind Reddy. Speaking to the Hindu, he said, "I have always been fascinated by Hoysala architecture and wanted to revive the tradition. When we started, we planned a small temple with a budget of ₹15 to ₹20 lakh."
The project, however, is now estimated to cost at least Rs 300 crore. Meanwhile, Prof Hardy says, "The Hoysala style is known for architectural planning, detailed iconography, beautifully carved pillars and use of soapstone instead of sandstone. To replicate it will be no easy job.”
It is said that the planners had no problems sourcing sculptors, artists and even the material, but the real challenge was in finding an architect who mastered the style. Reddy happened to meet with Yashaswini Sharma, architect and author of Bangalore: The Early City AD 1537-1799 who gave Reddy a new lead. She showed him the book written by Hardy, which contained 60 different plans for a Hoysala temple. Reddy said, "I knew I had to meet him".
The scholar, incidentally, was coming to India. Reddy said, "It was after I met him that the scale of the project became mind-boggling." It apparently took eight years of planning and replanning before the construction finally started just a few days ago. The trust wants to see the new temple as a conglomeration of the three famous temples in Arsikere, Belur and Halebid. The foundation for the plan was laid on June 14 and the ceremony was attended by Maharaja of Mysore Yaduveera Chamaraja Wadiyar.
