Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation
Modern name of Hoysaleshvara's capital Dwarasamudra:
Solution & Analysis
Answer: C
Concept
Identifying ancient and medieval cities by their modern names is key to mapping the architectural history of India. The Hoysala capital was a center of exquisite stone sculpture.Explanation
Dwarasamudra was the royal capital of the Hoysala Empire during the 12th and 13th centuries. Today, it is known as Halebid (meaning 'Old City') in the Hassan district of Karnataka. It is world-famous for the Hoysaleswara Temple, an intricate masterpiece of soapstone carving.Logical Breakup
Logic 1: The city was sacked and destroyed twice by the Delhi Sultanate (Malik Kafur), leading the locals to refer to it as 'the old/ruined city' (Halebid).
Logic 2: While Belur and Somnathpur are other major Hoysala sites, Halebid (Dwarasamudra) was the primary administrative capital.