Belur

बेलूर

Situated at a distance of 38 Km from Hassan, Belur is famous for some magnificent 12th century temples built during Hoysala reign. There are three main temples in the region, but the most important is Chennakeshava Temple, which is the only Hoysala Temple still in use. The temple was built to celebrate the triumph of Hoysalas over Cholas. Started in year 1116, it took more than 100 years to complete this temple. Each and every section of the temple is heavily carved with intricate forms. You will find scenes from epics, sculptures of elephants and dancers carved on the walls of the temple. It is also believed that the images of all the Hindu deities are shown in the temple. Such mesmerizing work of art can also be seen in Veeranarayana Temple, Kappe Chennigaraya, temples dedicated to Soumyanaki and Andal.