Question

The sculpture in Fig. narrates the story behind the Hoysalas’ emblem. Kannada folklore recounts the story of Sala, a young man who fought a lion to save his guru, giving the dynasty its name - ‘Hoy (strike)! Sala’.

Answer 1

The sculpture shows the legend of Sala, the founder of the Hoysala dynasty. According to Kannada folklore, Sala fought and killed a lion to protect his guru. His guru is said to have shouted, Hoy, Sala! meaning Strike, Sala! This story gave the dynasty its name, Hoysala, and the lion became an important symbol of the dynasty.