Tourist places in and around Belur

Chamrajnagar

This district has been bifurcated recently from Mysore district. The ruins of an antique city, Manipura are nearby. Chamarajeswara temple built in 1825 is another place of interest in the district. Rail and road connect the town with rest of the country.

Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary (52 km)

Situated on the Mysore - Ooty road, this sanctuary is brought under project tiger since 1974.

Biligiri Rangaswamy temple of Dravidian Style (109km) and the Kaveri fishing camp at Bhimeswari are of interesting places for tourists.

Chikamangalur

The town of Chikmangalur is the district headquarters. It is a centre for education, trade and commerce. The town enjoys a very healthy climate and has revered monuments of all religions.

Places of interest in the town are the fort and its moat, the Parasurama temple, the Kali shrine, the Ishwara temple, St. Joseph's Cathedral, Kodandarama Temple etc.

Kemmangudi (54 km)

It is an ideal retreat with bracing climate and located at 4700ft above sea level. The sites of Kalahasti and Hebbe waterfalls are ideal picnic spots.

Sringeri (103 km)

Situated on the banks of Tunga River the Sringeri Mutt was founded by Sri. Adi Shankara., the exponent of the Adwaita philosophy. The Vidyashankar Temple has 12 zodiac pillars and a huge paved courtyard. The pillars are constructed in such a way that the rays of the sun fall on the pillar corresponding to the month.

Other places of interest around the town are Bhadia Wildlife Sanctuary (38 km), Bhadra Reservoir (76 km) etc.

Chitra Durga

A place existed during the epic period of Ramayana and Mahabharatha, this district was a place of prominence for all dynasties those ruled Karnataka. Rail and road connect the town to most of the important places of the state.

Built in part by the Palegars, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, the fort has seven series of enclosure walls and many ancient temples.

Belur

Dakshin Kannad

Mangalore is the district headquarters. Located near the backwaters formed by the Netravathi and Gurupur rivers, it was once a major seaport and shipbuilding center of Hyder Ali. The backwaters, the palm trees and the pleasant climate make Mangalore a unique place.

Mangalore is connected to Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore and Kochi by air. Roads and rails connect Mangalore to other parts of the state.

Places of interest in Mangalore are the Sultan Battery, a remnant of Tipu Sultan's fort, a picturesque Ullal Beach situated at the mouth of two rivers entering the sea, the Shreemanthi Bai Memorial Govt. Museum, the Kadri temple, Mangladevi Temple etc.

The River Netravati surrounds the town Dharmastala (70 km) in all sides. The famous Manjunatha Temple is in situated here. 30 km east is Katil with the Durga Parameswary Temple. 35 km northeast is Moodabidri and the famous Jain temple here has 1000 pillars. 52 km northeast is Karkala. It is a 15th century Jain centre and has a 13m tall monolithic statue of Bahubali Places of Interest in Gulbarga Formerly known as Kalbugi, Gulbarga is the headquarters of the district. The town rose into prominence when the founder of Bahmani kingdom shifted the capital from Daulatabad to Gulbarga. It continued to be the capital until 1424AD. The town is 613km from Bangalore and accessible by rail and road from every important place of the state.

The Fort

Raja Gulchand originally built the fort. Ala-u-Din Bahmani strengthened it later. The fort has 15 towers and 26 guns. One of the guns is 8m long. In the fort there is an imposing mosque that resembles the mosque of Cordona in Spain. Situated within the fort walls is the Jama Masjid with stilted domes and narrow entrances in the Persian style of architecture.

Places of Interest in Hassan Hassan is the headquarters of the district. This fairly large city was developed into a tourist centre because of the proximity to Belur and Halebid. Hassan is 194km from Bangalore on the national highway linking Mangalore and Bangalore. The district has a salubrious climate. Rail and roads connect Hassan to important centres of the state.

Chennakeswara Temple, Belur

34 km from Hassan, Belur is a tourist attraction with its exquisite temples. Located on the banks of river Yagachi, the Chennakeswara Temple is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture. It took 103 years to complete and you can see why when you see it. The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures friezes with no portion kept blank. The interior of the temple is even better and contains many exquisite panels and richly carved pillars. The Veeranarayana Temple and other smaller shrines are also worth visiting.

Sculpture on Hoysaleswara Temple, Halebid Halebidu: 16km from Belur and 39km from Hassan, the Hoysaleswara Temple of Halebidu is a wealth of sculptural details. The walls of the temple are covered with an endless variety of gods, goddesses, animals, birds and dancing girls giving importance to the minutest details. Yet no two facets of the temple are the same. Two massive monolithic bulls guard the temple. Despite 86 years of hard work, the temple is not completed.

It is stated that "what the Parthenon is to Greece and the Pyramids to Egypt, the Hoysala temples are to South Indian architecture". Jakkanna Achari is credited as the Chief architect of these two temples. Between AD 1000 and AD 1346 around 1,500 temples in 958 centres, were built during the Hoysala period.

Belur's main temple, chennakeshava is dedicated to Lord Krishna and set in a compound with several smaller temples and a pond. It was commissioned by king vishnuvardhana in 1117 AD to celebrated Hoyala military victories. It took over a hundered years to complete and its architecture is foreign to the prevailing Hoysala style of the 12th century. It is exceptionally large (about 100ft high) and it features rich embellishments with a magnificent gateway tower gopuram-in Dravidian style.

It is dilicate in its filigree work, with the added attraction of bracketed figures of celestial dancers, called Madanikas (and exclusive to Belur) and an innumerable variety of intricate pillars. Contraty to Indian tradition, these Housala sculptors signed their work at this temple.

At the entrance, facing the temple stands the winged figure of Garuda, Lord vishnu's carrier. On the frieze, around the walls outside are 650 charging elephants all different from each other. In front of the shrine, there is a beautiful statue of shantala Devi, queen of king cishnuvardhana.

Chennakeshava shrine

This temple, an architectural marvel, was built over a period of nearly 100 years. The main structure is star-shaped and is a homogenous architectural unit erected on a raised platform. The three doorways and outer walls contain ornate freizes and wonderful carvings. Lord Chennakeshava, a beautiful image radiating divine glory, is installed on a high pedestal.

The Navarang Mandap is masterpiece of Hoysala artisans. The polished pillars reflect one.s image like the mirror. The dancing figures on the pillars are delicately carved. The Narasimha Pillar contains details about the temple and numerous deities. The outer walls of the shrine depict scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Sri Krishna Leela. A 40-foot-tall stone pillar is another marvel, which appears to stand only with the center of gravity.

An interesting feature is that a pair of large leather chappals is kept in a glasscase in the front mandapam. Local cobber communitymen believe that the Lord treks to Bababudangiri daily ti visit Lakshmi residing there. It is said that the Lord appears in their dream and informs them that His chappals hve given way and that He needs a fresh pair. The cobblers then spread kumkum on the ground on which the Lord,s foorprints appear and prepare the chappals according to that size.

The magnificent shrine dedicated to lord Vijayanarayan, one of the twenty four incrnations of Vishnu, was built to commemorate the victory of Hoysalas over the cholas in the great battle of Talakkhad. Some also believe that it was constructed when Vishnu ardhana adopted vaishnavism under the influence of the great guru Sri Ramanujacharya. Its construction commenced in 1116 AD, at the instance of king Vishnuvardhana, later on his son and grandson completed the work. According to historical records, it took about 103 years to complkete this [rofusely sculpted masterpiece of Hoysala architecture. The huge temple complex enclosed by high walls has a garbha friha (sanctum sanctorum), a sukhanasi (vestibule), a navaranga mandapa and many smaller shrines, mandapams and other structures.

The star shaped main sanctum is a homogenous architectural unit set on a raised platform in the centre of a spacious paved courtyard surrounded by subsidiary shrines and colonnades. Virtually every inch of the shrine is intricately carved. The outer walls are adorned with Jagati or railed platform sculpted with horizontal rows of friezes with carvings of elephants, simhalatas or lions and scrolls of small female figures in ornamental niches and intersected here and there by larger vertical images. The lower friezes are not so extensively carved as in other Hoysala temples, but the work higher up on the walls is simply outstanding. Singularly beautiful are the 38 freestanding bracket figuers angled between the upper walls and the over-hanging eaves around the outside of the temple and navranga (pillared hall). The brackets are adorned with voluptuous beauties known as Madanikas in various dancing and ritual postures and depicts and amazing variety sculpted forms. The main sanctum enshrines a beautifully ornamented 6ft high image of Chenna Keshava, literally meaning the ‘Beautiful' Keshava in Kannada language. Other important Hoysala shrines at Belur are - Kappe (frog) chennigaraya Temple and Veera Narayana Temple.

Other shrines

Sowmyanayaki, Andal and Kappe Chinnigaraya are other important shrines in this vast temple complex.

Sravanabelagola

An unspoiled township between the Indragiri hills and Chandragiri hills, Sravanabelagola is a great Jain Centre. It is 52 km southeast of Hassan and 160km from Bangalore. Thousands of pilgrims flock to see the gigantic statue of Jain Saint, Lord Gomateswara also known as Bahubali. The statue was anointed in 981 AD. Carved from a single block of stone, the statue stands 17m tall and is visible from 30 km away. It is one of the largest monolithic statutes in the world. Thousands of devotees gather here to perform the "Mahamastakabhisheka", a spectacular ceremony held once in every 12 years, when the statue will be anointed with milk, curds, ghee, saffron, and gold coins. The next Mahamastakabhisheka is due in 2005. There are several Jain temples and monasteries on the Chandragiri Hills those are worth visiting.

If you want to see Architectural marvel there is no other place like temples in Belur and Halebid, Karnataka. These temple towns are mentioned often in single breath because of the similar style of carvings and also because of their proximity to each other.

Belur - Hoysala the warrior combating the tiger

The word "Hoysala", means 'strike Sala!', was uttered to Sala, the well known leader of this dynasty, as he carried out armed combat with a tiger. Sala became a legend by single-handedly killing the beast, and this tale of the warrior's heroism inspired the royal insignia of the Hoysala Dynasty, also to be found in the temple architecture.

Belur - Pillar balanced on its own center of gravity Situated approximately 222 km from Bangalore, both these temples can be visited in one day and return back to Bangalore. One could take the train or bus to Hasan and from there rent a car to Belur and Halebid. The distance between two towns are only 17 km which can be covered by either taxi, autoricksha and if you are avid cyclist, you can rent a bicycle.

Hoysala Architecture

Art and music were regarded highly by the Hoysala. The most marvellous specimens of Hoysala architecture found exclusively at Belur, are the angled bracket figuers depicting celestial nymphs. The beautiful and expressive nymphs are depicted singing,dancing or executing daily chores. They are adorned with a wealth of detail in their make up, jewellery and coiffures. From the study of the sculptures it is observed that during the Hoysalas reign, female participation in the public affairs was very prominent.

The Hoysalas first converted to Jainism and then to Hinduism. Its clearly depicated in their temples where one can see the images of Jain, shaivite and vaishnavite.

Belur Temple Wall adorns with intricate carvings

Belur's main temple, Lord Chennakeshava, dedicated to Lord Krishna, was built at the instance of King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 AD to celebrate Hoysala war victories. It took over 103 years to complete. The sheer beauty of the temple will take visitors breath away. The intricate carvings are a treat to the eyes. Its an ethereal experience and one will be humbled by the beauty and craftsmanship.The exterior is covered with a variety of sculptures and friezes. The interior contains exquisite panels and richly-carved pillars. A tall stone pillar in the temple courtyard is readily visible and is balanced, only by its centre of gravity!!

Halebid Temple - part of the wall showing miniature carvings

The name Halebid....literally means, 'old village' and is about 17 km away from Belur. Halebid, famous for its Hoyasaleswara temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The construction of the Hoyasaleswara Temple was started in AD 1121 and continued for around 90 years, but never completely finished. Even in its incomplete form, this temple is the most remarkable example of Hoysala art and architecture. Every part of the walls of this temple is adorned by a continuing variety of Hindu deities, sages, animals and many other art forms. The temple is surrounded by a garden and there is also a museum nearby.

Halebid - Statue of Nandi

Unfortunately of the two temples only Belur Lord Chennakeshwara temple is available for worship. Guides are plenty near both temples who will enlighten you about temple architecture and history. As anywhere else where tourist come, there are hawkers who will try to sell miniature carvings and other memorabilia.

Veeranarayana Temple

This temple is situated to the west of the chennakesava temple. It has numerous finely carved figures of various Hindu Gods.

Channigaraya Temple

In the huge walled court at Belur, this temple also contains splendid pieces of sculpture.

In the same premises there are soumyanayaki temple and Andal temple. The most striking features of the Hoysala shirnes, is the high plinthed, star-shaped platform, on which the templews have been built.

Places of Interest

The main temple to be seen here is the Channakeshava temple. The main structure of the temple, which is star shaped, is a homogenous architectural unit on a raised platform. Everything is carved in black stone looking like metal. Facing the temple, at the entrance, stands the winged figure of Garuda, Lord Vishnu's carrier.

The 650 charging elephants on the frieze around the walls outside are all different from each other. The exotic bracket figures (Madanikas) on the walls of the temple are serene, playful and amorous, enhancing the overall effect of this pinnacle of architectural excellence.

Inside, even in the darkness you can see the hand-lathe-turned shining pillars, each unique in its splendour. On the smooth circular platform in front of the shrine you can see the beautiful Shantala Devi, queen of King Vishnuvardhana. The spotlight is on the famous bracket figures on the ornate ceiling. All these figures have been inspired by Shantala Devi's beauty.

Sculpted limbs undulated in lyrical lines. One sculpted beauty communicates with a pet parrot whose tail is like that of a peacock another wrings water from her long hair and you can see the drops collected on hair ends. The delicacy and attention to the fines details here are incredible.