Belur & the Chennakeshava Temple - A Historical Guide of the Hoysalas

Belur is a small town located in Karnataka's Hassan district along the Yagachi River. This temple town is 220 kms from Bangalore. Belur is also referred to as the Dakshina Benaras or the 'Benaras of the South' because of the numerous temples that dot its landscape. The city, known for its magnificent art & architecture, briefly served as the capital of the mighty Hoysala kingdom. During this era around a thousand years ago, Belur was also referred to as Velapuri.
Belur and Halebeid are considered twin towns and were the jewels of the Hoysala dynasty for three centuries. Like Belur, Halebeedu too has several shrines built during the Hoysala reign. These twin cities are around 17 km apart and together are one the most popular historical destinations in South India. The two cities are frequently combined during tours because they are the grandest examples of Hoysala architecture. Due to its incredible well preserved temples from the 10th-12th century, it is being considered for UNESCO's list of world heritage sites.
Among the several hundred temples created between 1000-12000 CE, the Channakesava Temple is a testimony to the artistic, cultural and theological pinnacle in 12th century South India. Though a Vaishnava temple, it includes themes from Shaivism and Shaktism, as well as images from Jainism and Buddhism. It is one of the finest examples of Hoysala craftsmanship and is the town's most well-known landmark. It is notable for its imposing gateway that looms large in its height and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Numerous sculptures throughout the temple are so vivid that they appear to be alive.
The exterior of the temple is richly sculptured and it is remarkable for its architecture, sculptures, reliefs, and friezes as well as its iconography, inscriptions and history. The artwork depicts scenes of secular life in the 12th century, dancers and musicians, as well as a pictorial narration from texts like Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas through numerous friezes. There are approximately 4000 carvings in the temple. The intricate carvings on the walls depict the pictures of lions, horses, elephants, a lady with a mirror and dancing women making your visit to this temple more fascinating. According to legend, it took more than a century to finish the complex. The Lakshmi Devi Temple in Doddagaddavalli and the Jain monuments in Shravanabelagola are two additional noteworthy sights around Belur.
Belur can be easily covered by road and is even more magical with the views of the lush green natural landscape and water bodies on the way. The distance between Bangalore and Belur is around 220 km. It can be covered in 3 to 5 hours, depending on the route you choose and the flow of traffic. You can either choose to drive through NH 48 or via NH 275 and NH 48. Renting a chauffeur driven car from Bangalore with Savaari will make this journey hassle-free and extremely comfortable.
We have curated an essential Belur Travel Guide that gives you several reasons why the historic town of the mighty Hoysalas should be on your travel bucket list. This is a part of Savaari's Travel Diaries Series.
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[@shiveshkumardwivedi7858]

very nice destination for weekends and nice explanation

[@SavaariCarRentalsIndia]

Thanks a lot

[@devangsharma3792]

seductive voice ❤️

[@shilpabengre409]

I love your voice ❤️😄

[@nidhiijohri]

Love the voice! Use it for more videos! A better choice of music would've made the video even more likeable though!

[@SavaariCarRentalsIndia]

Thanks for the feedback :)