Chennakeshava Temple, Belur

Getting there

• By air

  Belur has no nearby airport, and Bengaluru is about 220 km away.

• By train

  Hasana junction, about 40 km away, is the nearest railway station to the temple.

• By road

  From Bengaluru the drive takes about 3.5 hours on the four-lane NH75 highway.

Why devotees come here

Chennakeshava Temple in Belur, Hassan district, Karnataka, is a 12th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu in the form of Kesava. King Vishnuvardhana commissioned it in 1117 CE, and more than 80 carved figures decorate it. It stands on the banks of the Yagachi river.

Chennakeshava Temple is a 12th-century Hindu temple in Hassan district, Karnataka. It is dedicated to Vishnu in the form of Kesava. King Vishnuvardhana commissioned it in 1117 CE, and it was built over three generations, taking 103 years to finish. Local legend says a kappe, or frog, was once found near its navel, and the smaller Kappe Chennigaraya temple takes its name from that tale.

The main shrine is a single sanctum about 10.5 m by 10.5 m, built of soapstone, also called chloritic schist. The main hall has forty-eight pillars. Its dome has a lotus bud carved with Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The sanctum holds a 3.7 m tall black stone image of Vijaya Narayana.

More than 80 carved figures in dancing, hunting and other poses decorate the temple. Tradition says Queen Shantaladevi, an accomplished queen of King Vishnuvardhana, is the model for one of them. The temple stands on the banks of the Yagachi river, 38 km from Hassan.

Tips for your visit

• Visitors can test the gravity pillar outside the temple by sliding a sheet of paper across it.
• Yagachi Dam, about 4 km away, and Mullayyanagiri Peak, about 50 km away, can be visited along with the temple.

Questions people ask