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Pop:
17,000 Area
Phone Code: 08177
Belur
was the capital of the Hoysalas during the 11th and 12th centuries,
before the capital was moved to Halebid. The fifth king of the Hoysalas
dynasty, Bittadeva, is said to have changed his name to Vishnuvardhana
(1108-1042) when he was converted from Jainism to Vaishnavism under
the influence of Ramanujacharya. Most of the temples in Belur and Halebid
were built during his reign.
The
reason to come to this town is to see the impressive Chenna Keshava
Temple, which has some of the most intricate and beautiful carvings
in India. Beside this temple, there are two other temples to see, the
Viranarayana Temple and the Chenniga Raya Temple.
Practicalities
You can change money at the State Bank of Mysore,
Temple Rd, between the bus stand and the temple. The Post Office
is on Main Rd, 300m from the bus stand.
Chenna Keshava Temple
This photogenic temple is an excellent example of Hoysala architecture.
Construction of this impressive temple was begun in 1116 AD. It took
103 years to complete. Built of gray-green chlorite, the temple is covered
with intricate sculptures, including scenes from the Ramayana and Maha-bharata.
It is named after the beautiful (chenna) long-haired (keshava) form
of Lord Krishna. The 2m (6 ft) Deity rests on a 1m stand. The two upper
hands hold a disc and a conch, the two lower ones a lotus and a club.
To
the left of the main shrine is a shrine dedicated to Kappe Chenniga
Raya. There are two altars in the temple.The shrine facing
east houses Kappe Chenniga Raya, and the one facing
north houses Venugopala. There is another shrine dedicated
to Somanayaki with a tower (vimana) over it. To the
west of the main temple is a shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu called
Vira-narayana. Behind the main temple is a temple dedicated to the Goddess
Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Chenna Keshava.
The
temple walls are 132m (443 ft) by 120m (396 ft). The temple itself is
53m (178 ft) by 47m (156 ft). There is a five-storey, 14th century gopuram
over the main entrance. On either side of the main door are 2m (6 ft)
sculptures of Jaya and Vijaya. A tall stone pillar in the temple courtyard
is balanced only by its center of gravity. There are 645 elephants carved
at the bottom of the outside walls of the temple. No two elephants are
the same.
Inside
the temple hall, to the left of the main entrance, is an intricately
carved pillar with many small carvings of Lord Narasimha.
This pillar used to rotate. There is one panel left blank on the pillar.
It is said that the carver wanted to challenge anyone to carve a more
beautiful image of Lord Narasimha than the ones already on the pillar.
There are ten perforated screens on either side of the eastern entrance
of the assembly hall. The screens to the right include the story of
Vamana (Trivikrama) and Bali, the killing of Hiranyakasipu
by Narasimha, and the killing of Kamsa by Krishna.
The panels on the left side depict the churning of the ocean by the
demigods and demons, and Krishna’s pastimes (fighting
with the wrestler Canura, killing the elephant Kuvalayapida, and the
slaying of Kamsa). Other scenes depicted are from the Mahabharata and
Ramayana.
There
is an inscription recording the date of erection of this temple in commemoration
of Vishnuvardhana’s victory over the Chola viceroy of Talkad.
It is said that about this time, Vishnuvardhana was converted from
Jainism to Vaishnavism by Ramanujacharya.
This
temple is still used for worship, but non-Hindus are permitted to enter.
The ASI guides give a good tour of the temple for Rs 75. You can have
a spotlight turned on for Rs 5 to see the interior sculptures more clearly.
Where to Stay
The KSTDC Hotel Mayura Velapuri (22209), Temple Rd,
a several-minute walk from the bus stand, has basic, clean rooms for
Rs 200/250. It is about 300m from the temple. 24-hour checkout. It is
one of the best place in town. As the rooms are different it is a good
idea to see a few.
Vishnu Krupa Lodging (22263), Main Rd, has rooms with
large windows for Rs 100/200. The deluxe rooms for Rs 350 are much better.
You can get hot water in buckets at 6 am.
New Gayatri Hotel (22255), Main Rd, has basic rooms
for Rs 75.
The friendly Swagath Tourist Home (22159), Temple Rd,
is a basic place with rooms starting at Rs 60/80. Rooms have a balcony
overlooking a small courtyard.
The Hotel Annapoorna (22423), Temple Rd, is a basic
place (no pillow covers) that has rooms with hot water for Rs 150. 24-hour
checkout.
Shri Raghavendra Tourist Home (22372), to the right
of the temple, is very basic, with rooms for Rs 75/100 with bath. Rooms
have mats on the floor; attached baths have squat toilets. You can get
a bucket of hot water at 6 am. 24-hour checkout.
Where
to Eat
The restaurants in Belur serve basic vegetarian meals and South Indian
food. The restaurant at the Hotel Mayura Velapuri besides
serving a vegetarian thali also serves Continental dishes.
Hotel Shankar, near the Hotel Annapoorna, has good,
inexpensive thalis and good service.
Vishnu Krupa Hotel has a good vegetarian restaurant.
Travel
Belur is 222km west of Bangalore, 16km from Halebid, and 38km from Hassan.
It takes about 1½ hours to get to Belur by bus from Hassan. There
are frequent buses to Halebid (35 min), Hassan (1½ hr), Bangalore
(4 hr), Mysore (3 hr), and Arsikere (1½ hr).
From
Mysore, the KSTDC Belur, Halebid, and Sravanabelagola tour runs daily
in the season (April to June and September to November), and three times
a week the rest of the year. This is a good way to see these places,
as they are difficult to reach by public transportation. There are also
regular tours from Bangalore.
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