ASI Museum, Halebidu, Karnataka

ASI Museum, Halebidu, Karnataka

ASI Museum is located in Halebidu Town in Belur Taluk in Hassan District, in the Indian state of Karnataka. This Museum is situated in front of the Hoysaleswara Temple. The museum was established in 1970 by ASI. 

The Museum

This museum consists of two sections namely closed sculpture gallery and open-air museum. The museum has collections of more than 1500 sculptures, architectural fragments, inscriptions of historical significance. All these collections are gathered from in and around Halebidu. Most of the artifacts exhibited in the museum are from 12th – 13th century CE. The open-air museum has huge collection of sculptures of artistic importance. Some of the notable sculptures are Govardhanagiridhari Krishna, Nataraja, Veena Saraswathi and Nardana Vinayaga.

It also has an 18 feet tall image of Thirthankara. It is said that the image is excavated from the ruined tank of one of the Jain Basadi in Halebidu. The sculptures of Brahma Saraswathi, Kala Bhairava, a mother and child, wooden carvings and a bronze statue of a tirthankara can be seen in the sculpture gallery. The master pieces of this museum have represented Indian art in the various exhibitions held at France, Japan and other countries. 

Timings

The museum remains open from 09.00 AM to 05.00 PM on all days except Fridays.

Entrance Fees

·        Adult:  Rs. 5 / - per head

·        Children up to 15 years free

Connectivity

The temple is located at about 100 metres from Halebidu Bus Stand, 17 Kms from Belur, 30 Kms from Banavara, 31 Kms from Hassan, 32 Kms from Hassan Junction Railway Station, 169 Kms from Mangalore, 169 Kms from Mangalore Airport, 210 Kms from Bengaluru and 232 Kms from Bengaluru Airport. The temple is situated on Banavara to Mangalore route.

Location