Harihareshwara Temple

Getting there

• By air

  The nearest airport is at Shivamogga, about 80 km from Harihar.

• By train

  Harihar railway station is in central Harihar and at Amaravati Colony Junction.

• By road

  National Highway 48 (Bangalore to Mumbai), State Highway 25 and SH-76 pass through Harihar. Almost all buses between north and south Karnataka pass through the town.

Why devotees come here

Harihareshwara Temple stands in Harihar, a city on the Tungabhadra River in Davanagere district, Karnataka. It is dedicated to Shri Harihara, a form that joins Vishnu and Shiva in one deity. The temple was built around 1223 to 1224 CE, in the Hoysala period.

Legend says that Brahma had granted the demon Guha a boon, so neither Vishnu nor Shiva could kill him alone. The two gods took the form of Harihara, a fusion of both, came down to earth and destroyed him. The legend places the descent of this form at nearby Kudalur, where the Tungabhadra and Haridra rivers meet.

The temple was built around 1223 to 1224 CE by Polalva, a commander and minister of the Hoysala king Vira Narasimha II. In 1268 CE, Soma, a commander of King Narasimha III, made some additions. It follows a staggered square hall plan typical of Hoysala temples and is built of soapstone, also called potstone. The original tower over the shrine is missing; a tower of brick and mortar replaces it. The ceiling of the open hall carries lotus carvings, and several old Kannada inscriptions and hero stones are kept within the temple premises.

Tips for your visit

• Davanagere, about 14 km away, is Harihar's twin city.
• Karnataka Tourism lists Harihar among its heritage experiences, as the Twin-Culture City by the Tungabhadra.

Questions people ask