View source for Place:Halasi

{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Halasi
| other_name              = Halasi (Palāśikā)
| nickname                = 
| settlement_type         = Former capital of Kadambas
| image_skyline           = Halasi 12.jpg
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = Bhuvaraha Narasimha temple at Halasi
| pushpin_map             = India Karnataka
| pushpin_label_position  = right
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
| pushpin_map_caption     = Location in Karnataka, India
| coordinates             = {{coord|15.54|N|74.59083333333332|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1       = State
| subdivision_name1       = Karnataka
| subdivision_type2       = District
| subdivision_name2       = Belgaum
| established_title       = <!-- Established -->
| established_date        = 
| founder                 = 
| named_for               = 
| government_type         = 
| governing_body          = 
| unit_pref               = Metric
| area_footnotes          = 
| area_rank               = 
| area_total_km2          = 
| elevation_footnotes     = 
| elevation_m             = 649
| population_total        = 
| population_as_of        = 
| population_rank         = 
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_demonym      = 
| population_footnotes    = 
| demographics_type1      = Languages
| demographics1_title1    = Official
| demographics1_info1     = [[Social:Kannada|Kannada]]
| timezone1               = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1             = +5:30
| postal_code_type        = PIN
| postal_code             = 591120
| area_code_type          = Telephone code
| area_code               = 08336
| registration_plate      = 
| blank1_name_sec1        = Nearest city
| blank1_info_sec1        = Belgaum
| website                 = 
| iso_code                = [[ISO 3166-2:IN|IN-KA]]
| footnotes               =

}}

'''Halasi''' (Kannada: ಹಲಸಿ, also Halsi or Halshi, in earlier times also called Halasige or Palasige) is a town in Khanapur Taluk, Belgaum District in Karnataka, {{wipe|India}}. It is 14&nbsp;km from Khanapur and about 25&nbsp;km from Kittur. As known from inscriptions, the ancient name of the town was Palāśikā.<ref>'''SIDDHAM: the asia inscriptions database''': Halsi Grant of Ravivarman, https://siddham.network/inscription/in01055/</ref> A centre of the early Kadamba Dynasty (c. 500), it was a minor capital of the Goa Kadambas (980-1025).<ref>James M. Campbell, ''Gazetteer of The Bomaby Presidency, vol. 21 Belgaum'' (Bombay: Central Government Press, 1884), 565</ref> The town is notable for a series of medieval temples. The most famous are the Varāha Narasiṃha temple and Suvarṇeśvara temple in the town, and a third temple of Rāmeśvara. On a hill about 1.9&nbsp;km. south-west of the town is a pilgrimage place known as Rāmatītha.

==Palāśikā==
[[File:BLL826 INDCH64R 01 L.jpg|thumb|left|Copper-plate charter of Harivarman (c. 500-15) from Halasi, Karnataka, recording a grant of land, see https://siddham.network/inscription/ob01057/]]
Of the ancient settlement of Palāśikā no architectural remains have been found, but A. Sundara has noted traces of brick structures near the Kalleśvara temple (also known as Kalameshwar) on the west side of the town.<ref>A. Sundara and K G. Bhatsoori. ''Archaeology in Karnataka: Papers Presented at the National Seminar on Archaeology, 1985'' (Mysore: Directorate of Archaeology & Museums, 1990).</ref> The main evidence of early Palāśikā is a series of copper plates discovered in the 1850s at a location then known as Cakratīrtha.<ref>J. F. Fleet, Sanskrit and Old-Canarese Inscriptions, ''The Indian Antiquary'' 6 (1877): 25-7, see '''SIDDHAM: the asia inscriptions database''', Halsi Copper Plates of Kākutsthavarman, https://siddham.network/object/ob01052/.</ref> Fleet states that the plates "were found some sixteen years ago in a mound of earth close to a small well called Chakratîrtha, a short distance outside Halsi on the road to Nandigaḍ."<ref>J. F. Fleet, Sanskrit and Old-Canarese Inscriptions, ''The Indian Antiquary'' 6 (1877): 22, online at {{doi|10.5281/zenodo.3912038.}}</ref> The charters all record Jain grants and range from the time of Kākutsthavarman (c. 405-430) through Ravivarman (c. 465-500) and Harivarman (c. 500-15).<ref>The dates following G. S. Gai, ''Inscriptions of the Early Kadambas'' (New Delhi : Indian Council of Historical Research & Pratibha Prakashan, Delhi, 1996), online at {{doi|10.5281/zenodo.573689.}}</ref>

==Varāha Narasiṃha Temple==
[[File:Varah Halsi.jpg|thumb|left|The image of [[Religion:Vishnu|Vishnu]] is his incarnation as Varaha inside the Varāha Narasiṃha temple at Halsi]]
[[File:Halasi 11.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Bhuvaraha Narasimha temple Halasi, Karnataka]]

This temple is under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India and appears in the List of Monuments of National Importance in Belgaum district. Traditions noted in the nineteenth century ascribe its construction to Jakhnācāraya.<ref>James M. Campbell, ''Gazetteer of The Bomaby Presidency, vol. 21 Belgaum'' (Bombay: Central Government Press, 1884), 565</ref> This appears to refer to the popular hero Amarashilpi Jakanachari. A large stone tablet inside the temple carries an inscription over sixty lines in two parts that record gifts in different years. The first is dated 1169 (''Kali Yuga'' 4369) and registers the gift of a village by the sixth Goa Kadamba Permādi or Shivchitt (1147-1175) for the performance of rites to the holy Narasiṃha whose shrine had been established in the pure city of Halsi by Mātāyogi.<ref>James M. Campbell, ''Gazetteer of The Bomaby Presidency, vol. 21 Belgaum'' (Bombay: Central Government Press, 1884), 565</ref> The second inscription belongs to Vijayāditya II and is the only inscription of his reign. Dated 1171–72 (''Kali Yuga'' 4272–73) in the twenty-fifth year of his reign, it records the gift of a village name Bhalaka.<ref>James M. Campbell, ''Gazetteer of The Bomaby Presidency, vol. 21 Belgaum'' (Bombay: Central Government Press, 1884), 360</ref>

Inside the temple there are two ''garbhagṛha'' chambers facing each other. In the right one is the deity of Lord Śrī Viṣṇu in a sitting posture. The deity of Sūryanarāyaṇa and Mahālakṣmī are just behind the main deity. The chamber on the left side has the deity of Bhūvāraha Swami, lord Vishnu's [[Unsolved:Varaha|Varaha]] [[Philosophy:Avatar|avatar]], where he carries Mother Earth (or Bhoodevi) on his tusk. Just outside the main temple are smaller temples dedicated to [[Biology:Ganesha|Ganesha]], [[Religion:Shiva|Shiva]] and Vitthala. One statue of [[Religion:Radha Krishna|Radha Krishna]] can also be seen in a smaller shrine.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

A yearly fair is held at the temple on the full moon of Ashvin. On the full-moon day of Kārttika or [[Astronomy:Kartik Purnima|Kartik Purnima]], the palanquin of Varāhanarasiṃha is carried in procession to the temple of Rāmeśvara.<ref>James M. Campbell, ''Gazetteer of The Bomaby Presidency, vol. 21 Belgaum'' (Bombay: Central Government Press, 1884), 565.</ref>

==Śrī Suvarṇeśvara temple==
This temple is located at the eastern side of Halsi and enshrines a Śivaliṅga. The spire of the temple is missing, and the large temple hall preserves only the columns and lintels. The style is austere throughout with little sculpture but there are large figures of Nandi and Gaṇeśa. The building belongs to the 12th century.

==Kalmeshwara temple==
Located between the Suvarṇeśvara and Varāha Narasiṃha, this temple has a sanctum and large ''maṇḍapa''. The ''maṇḍapa'' is notable for its stepped entrance with a curling balustrade.<ref>For image see: Halasi (Khanapur Taluk, Belgaum District, Karnataka). Rāmeśvara temple. Zenodo. {{doi|10.5281/zenodo.3964453}}</ref> The massive pillars are in the mature Kadamba style with square, octagonal and round sections. The temple is in a large precinct that appears to have been fortified; to the north there are traces of an ancient rampart and projecting bastion.

==Digambar Jain Temple==
The ruined Digambar Jain Temple is beside the Varāha Narasiṃha temple to the south-east. It is built of cyclopean masonry and lacks a spire. The ''maṇḍapa'' is enclosed and supported by turned and carved pillars of the late medieval type. The temple dates to the 11th or 12th century.

==Rāmatīrtha==
A short distance to the south west of Halsi, on a rocky outcrop, is a natural water tank with two temples. Dedicated to Śiva as Rāmeśvara, the main building is a simple stone structure with a ''maṇḍapa''. The pillars of the hall stand in the tank proper. The spire over the sanctum is similar in style to the Varāha Narasiṃha and it probably dates to the same period. A third ruined temple, with only some walls and parts of the door frame, is located a short distance to the south.<ref>For image: Halasi (Khanapur Taluk, Belgaum District, Karnataka). Rāmatirtha. Zenodo. {{doi|10.5281/zenodo.3964270}}</ref>

==Macigadh==
Directly west of the town is a prominent hill with a fort known as Machigadh (ಮಾಚಿಗಡ ಕೋಟೆ). Rock-cut cisterns and cyclopean masonry mark the remains.

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* Banavasi
* Goa
* Hangal
* Kadamba Dynasty
* Kamala Narayana Temple, Degaon (Degamve / Devgram)
* North Karnataka
* Tourism in North Karnataka
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://siddham.network/tag/halsi/ Inscriptions from Halasi]
* [http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=15.542511&lon=74.594035&z=15&m=bs&show=/17718387/Bhuvaraha-Narasimha-Temple&search=Halashi/ Map of Halasi with key locations]



[[Category:Empires and kingdoms of India]]

{{Sourceattribution|Halasi|1}}