Belur was famous as Velapuri, Velur and Belapur in the ancient days. The Chennakesava temple is in the banks of the Yagachi River and was one of the capitals of the Hoysala Empire. The massive Hoysala temple complex, the Chennakeshava Temple, was built by Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana to celebrate his victory over the Cholas in 1116 AD. The temple by craftsmen – Dasoja and Chavana, a father and son duo.

History of Chennakesava Temple

The construction of the Temple took 103 years for the three generations of the royal family to complete. 1000 artists were in involvement in creating this marvel on stone. The temple is in dedication to Lord Vishnu known as Chennakesava, chenna meaning beautiful and Keshava is another name for Lord Vishnu. According to a local people’s belief, it was in honor of Lord Vishnu to mark the conversion of King Vishnuvardhan from Jainism to Vaishnavism. King Vishnuvardhan was famous by the name of Bittidev when he was a practicing Jain under the influence of Guru, Shri Ramanujacharya, he then converted to Hinduism. His wife and queen Shantala Devi was a great admirer of arts, music, and dance, she was also a versatile Bharatnatyam dancer and known as Natyasamragyi or the queen of dance.

Belur Temple Architecture

The construction of the Chennakeshava temple took 103 years. Vishnuvardhana changed his capital to Dvarasamudra and began work on the Hoysaleswara Temple, which is dedicated to Shiva. Its construction lasted till his death in 1140 CE. His ancestors carried on his legacy and completed the Hoysaleswara Temple in 1150 CE and the Chennakesava Temple in Somanathapura in 1258 CE. The Hoysalas hired many renowned architects and artisans who made a new architectural tradition known as the Karnata Dravida tradition by art critic Adam Hardy.
The Chennakeshava complex at Belur has a length of 443.5 feet by 396 feet court surrounded by a wall with many Hindu temples and minor shrines. The compound’s entrance from the east through Gopuram added during the Vijayanagar empire.

History

The Chennakesava temple, also known as the Kesava temple is the main temple in the state. Moreover, it is in the center of the complex, facing east and directly in front of the gopuram. Due to architectural improvement, its height is about 178 feet by 156 feet. Also, the temple is constructed on a three-foot-high platform terrace. The temple honors Vishnu in the form of Kesava.

Places to visit Chennigaraya Temple

Yagachi Dam

The Yagachi Dam is across the river Yagachi, a tributary of river Kaveri. Moreover, the dam is at a distance of 3 km from the town of Belur in Hassan district in Karnataka.

Jhari or Dabdabe Falls

Jhari Waterfalls, also known as Buttermilk Falls. It is a beautiful waterfall by dense forest. Water flows from a height of about 40 feet.

Hence, this temple is a classic architect and an example of Hoysala tradition and culture. Each carving shows the effort of the artisan and the royalty is visible. The craft and creativity of our ancestors. And this is a place where history can be with one’s own eye.