One of the capital cities of the Hoysala Empire, Beluru (formerly known as Velapuri, Velur, and Belapur) is located on the banks of the Yagachi River. Built by Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana to commemorate his victory over the Cholas in 1116 AD, the Chennakeshava Temple beluru (also called Vijaya Narayana Temple) is renowned for its magnificent Hoysala temple complex. The father and son team Dasoja and Chavana are thought to have been the master craftsmen who constructed the temple.
Beluru Chennakeshava Temple History:
It is estimated that it took 103 years to build this star-shaped temple. A soaring Gopura and a magnificent sculpture of Garuda, Lord Vishnu’s carrier, with their palms touching in pious homage, stand at the temple’s entrance facing the other direction. The temple is elevated on a platform, and its exterior walls are decorated with exquisite artwork that features perfectly carved bracket figures that represent the Puranic and Epicural stories. A sequence of galloping horses and elephants, representing courage and speed, can be seen in the lower frieze.
It is also thought that one of the sculptures, Darpana Sundari (the lady with the mirror), is modeled after Shantaladevi, the queen of King Vishnuvardhana. The Gravity pillar, is a unique sculpture that is made of a single rock and supports itself on its own weight, is located right outside. In fact, a piece of paper can be swiped across it. Surrounding the main temple are the equally impressive temples of Kappe Chennigaraya, Soumyanayaki, Andal, and other Vaishnava manifestations.
And just enter if you believed that this was an incredible display of stone carving abilities. The inside has far better craftsmanship than the outside. A magnificent 3.7 m tall black stone image of Lord Vijaya Narayana is located in the sanctum. The ten exquisitely crafted avatars of Lord Vishnu are depicted in this idol’s prabhavali. The dwarapalakas are beautifully carved in the doorway. The Garbhagriha is shaped like a star, and the zigzag walls give the figures of Lord Vishnu’s 24 forms different looks depending on the time of day.
The intricately carved bracket figures of madanikas, or celestial nymps, feature perfectly shaped water droplets. The four bracket figures on the ceiling are thought to have been influenced by the beauty of Shantaladevi, the queen. Even in the dark, one can see the highly polished and intricately carved lathe-turned pillars, each of which is unique. It appears that the Narasimha Pillar was designed to revolve around its base. Out of all the pillars, the Mohini Pillar is the most exquisite. One distinctive feature of this is that the artist has left a small blank area; this is seen as a challenge to other artists to carve even better and to express the idea that art is eternal and never goes out of style. It is suggested that Chennakeshava temple, belur, karnataka be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Belur Temple Timings: Every day from 7.30 AM to 7.30 PM, it is open.
Adjacent attractions that can be visited in addition to Beluru include Halebeedu (20 km), Mullayyanagiri Peak (50 km), Shettihalli Church (55 km), Yagachi Dam (4 km), and Sakaleshpura (35 km).
The distances to Beluru are 155 km to Mangaluru and 220 km to Bengaluru. Additionally, the closest airport is Mangaluru. The closest train station is 40 kilometers away at Hasana Junction. There are bus services from Hasana city to Beluru. It is recommended to use a taxi or your own car to explore Beluru and its environs. To learn more about the temples, go to liturgical temples official website. This website contains well-researched content that comes from reliable sources.