chenakesava temple

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Chennakesava Temple Belur is one of the main attractions of the city. The temple was built in 1117 A D by the Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana. Though a follower of Jainism, he changed his religion to Vaishnavism and the temple was built to record this change in religion. The raw material that was used in the construction of the temple was gray-green chlorite. The temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. A six feet tall idol of Lord Krishna is placed in the temple.

The structure of the temple is very high and the walls measures to almost 132 meters by 120 meters. However the original temple measures to almost 53 meters by 47 meters. The charm of the temple begins at the entrance itself, where there is a gopuram. The five-storied structure of the gopuram is as old as 14th century. The outer walls of the temple have 645 elephant carvings, but the most interesting part is that none of the elephants are similarly carved.

The temple is beautifully sculptured. There are other small shrines within the premises of the Chennakesava Temple in Belur. There are shrines devoted to Kappe Chenniga Raya, Somanayaki, Vira-narayana, Venugopala and to Goddess Lakshmi. A sculpture of Shantala Devi, queen of King Vishnuvardhana is seen at a raised platform in the frontal part of the temple. The unique rounded pillars have enhanced the beauty of the temple to a great deal. There are also bracket figures in the Chennakesava Temple. There are also many carvings engraved on the walls of the temple in the interior side that depict mythological stories and events.

Apart from the temple, there are various other attractions in close proximity to Belur, Karnataka. There are also tour packages that are offered to the tourists visiting Belur. Belur acts as a center point in Karnataka, from where other places can be accessed via myriad modes of transport.

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