Page 6 - belur

Karnataka - India. As per saying, the beauty of this temple is inside as there are 48 pillars carved in
I love visiting destinations which showcase the heritage of my country, India. Each and every time, I
return amazed by our glorious past. On my last visit to Mysore we planned and visited the ancient
temples at Belur and Halebidu. These temples are about 150 Kms from Mysore. I was mesmerized
by the beauty of these temples. The walls of these temples have been sculpted with immaculate
precesion and beauty. The artistry here is astonishing and impressed me to no end. I could not help
but go on a clicking rampage. Sharing the images taken through my lens.
About Belur Temple
The Chennakeshava Temple, also referred to as Keshava, Kesava or Vijayanarayana Temple of
Belur, is a 12th-century Hindu temple in the Hassan district of Karnataka state, India. Belur temple
was commissioned by King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE, on the banks of the Yagachi River in Belur
also called Velapura, an early Hoysala Empire capital. Belur temple was built over three generations
and took 103 years to finish. Belur temple artwork depicts scenes of secular life in the 12th century,
dancers and musicians, as well as a pictorial narration of Hindu texts such as the Ramayana, the
Mahabharata and the Puranas. Belur temple is considered to be one of the earliest creations of
Hoysala dynasty. At its highest, Belur temple stands 37 metres tall. Its outer walls are adorned with
finely done artwork, with dancing girls in various postures.
Belur Chennakesava temple has three entrances and their doorways have decorated sculptures
called dvarapalaka (doorkeepers) on either side. The navaranga hall has forty eight pillars. All except
the central four are carved in a unique way. This place is one of the famous tourist destination in
different designs.
The vast complex has a large rajagopura or gate arches .On the right of the temple is the Kappe
Channigraya temple and a smaller temple dedicated to a Lakshmi reincarnation, the goddess
Sowmyanayaki, sits slightly behind the two. On the left of Belur Chennakeshava temple, one can find
the Ranganayaki temple.The Gravity Pillar-The decline of the Hoysalas saw the emergence of the
rulers of Vijayanagara. The reign of King Devaraya saw his commander Bice Dandanayaka install the
unique 42 feet tall lamp post, the Karthika Deepotsava Stambha. This pillar is a testament to the
architectural expertise during King Devaraya’s reign, with the post simply placed over a flat platform.
It appears to be standing on its own dead weight, and has astounded visitors for ages. The doorways
of the temple’s mantapa features a Hoysala king slaying what historians believe is either a tiger or lion.
It is also believed that this could be a symbolic representation of the defeat of the Cholas, whose royal
emblem is a tiger.
The Hoysala period of South Indian history began about 1000 CE and continued through 1346 CE. In
this period, they built around 1,500 temples in 958 centres. Belur is home to one of the grandest
examples of Hoysala architecture. Belur is located on the banks of river Yagachi and is known as
Dakshina Banaras or ‘Banaras of the South’, Belur is called Beluhur, Velur or Velapura in old
inscriptions and medieval era texts. It was the early capital of the Hoysala kings. The city was so
esteemed by the Hoysalas that it is referred to as "earthly Vaikuntha" (Vishnu's abode) and "dakshina
Varanasi" (southern holy city of Hindus) in later inscriptions.
It is 35 km from Hassan city and about 200 km from Bengaluru, 155 kms from Mysore and 153 kms
from Mangalore .