Chennakesava Temple, Belur, Karnataka

Chennakesava Temple of Belur also known as Velapura in early days is located in the Hassan district of the Karnataka in India. The mighty king of Hoysala Empire, King Vishnuvardhana commissioned the building of the temple in 1117 century. The work of the temple construction continued under three generation of the Hoysala rulers and took 103 year to complete. The temple is dedicated to Hindu God, Lord Vishnu. The literal meaning of the word Chennakesava is ‘handsome kesava’ or Vishnu. The temple is known for its religious significance as well as architecture and history. Chennakesava Temple depicts the cultural, theological and artistic aspects of the South Indian Empires during 12th century. The intricate artwork in the temple showcases the secular social life of the people during that period. Pictorial narration of Hindu texts like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas are also found in the walls of the temple. Although the temple is based on the Vaishnava theme, paradigm of Shaivism, Shaktism, Buddhism and Jainism can also be found inside the temple complex.