In the region of Karnataka near Mysore, the temples built under the Hoysala rulers developed a distinct style of their own, known as the Hoysala School of Art. It developed in the period from 1050-1300 A.D with the prominent seats being Belur, Halebid and Sringeri. Some of the features of the architecture are:

– Multiple shrines were built around a central pillared hall.

– Unlike the crucified ground plan of the Panchayatan style, the shrines led out in the shape of an intricately designed star. This was known as the stellate plan.

– Soft sope stone (Chorite schist) was the main building material.

– Massive emphasis was laid on the decoration of the temple through sculptures. Both the interior and exterior walls, even the jewelleries worn by the deities were intricately carved.

– All the chambers had Shikharas which were interconnected by an arrangement of horizontal lines and mouldings. This resolved the tower into an orderly succession of tires.

– The temples were built on an upraised platform known as Jagati, which was about 1 metre high.

– The walls and stairs of the temple followed a zigzag pattern.

Examples: Hoyasaleswara temple at Halebid and Vijayanarayana temple at Belur.