Chennakesava Temple

Belur is a small town in the Hassan district of Karnataka, situated on the banks of the Yagachi River, amidst lush surroundings. Also known as Velapura, it is an ancient and important town. The capital city of the Hoysalas, the rulers of the 10th-14th century Karnataka. They are known for their beautiful temple architecture, for example, the Chennakesava Temple and were great patronage of art, literature, and religion.

The temple is dedicated to Vishnu and has been an active Hindu temple since its founding. It is reverentially described in medieval Hindu texts, and remains an important pilgrimage site in Vaishnavism. The temple is remarkable for its architecture.

The outer wall of the temple from bottom onwards has tiers of minute sculptures consisting of rows of elephants, lion faces, creepers, ornamental frieze, dancers in small niches, female sculptures in between pillars, and the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharat. The ornamented windows called jalandhras which were added at a later date allow sufficient light and air to enter the interior of the temple. Over the sculptures and on the level of the roof are bracket figures known as silabalikas or madanikai sculptures. They represent beautiful damsels in various moods representing feminine charm and grace and perhaps these are the best creations of the Hoysala sculptors of the Belur temple.

The temple is built in the Hoysala style i.e. the platform is Star shaped, which is a typical Hoysala style. With a total of 400 dancing figures carved, its a place not to be missed. Showcased on these figures are the different hairstyles that a gal can have.