Sri Veeranarayana Temple

Karnataka , Chikkamagaluru, Bangalore

Sri Veera Narayana temple is a famous temple situated in Belavadi village in the Chikmagalur district, Karnataka. The temple was built during the rule of the Hoysala Empire. The Veeranarayana temple has three shrines dedicated to Veeranarayana, Venugopala and Yoganarasimha. At present, the temple is conserved and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Legend

Unknown

Architecture

The Veeranarayana temple has a trikutachala structure, having three shrines dedicated to Veeranarayana, Venugopala and Yoganarasimha. The entrance to the temple is majestic and has two carved elephants on either side of the gateway. The Navaranga of Veeranarayana shrine has beautiful bell shaped pillars and a well decorated roof. The idol of Veeranarayana and its garuda pedestal is around 2.5 metre high. With four hands and seated in lotus posture, it is considered as one of the best specimens of Hoysala art. The other two shrines face each other with one shrine square in shape and other is in stellate shape. The north facing shrine has the idol of Venugopala while the south facing shrine has the idol of Yoganarasimha. The idol of Venugopala playing the flute is 2.5 m tall with its pedestal and the idol of Yoganarasimha in sitting posture is 2.3 m tall. The vimanas, the Sukanasi and the walls are covered in bold sculptures. The figures that stand out are the ones of Krishna dancing on Kaliya, and of Garuda.

Darsan Info

The temple opens at 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Darsan Dresscode

There is no particular dress code.

Famous Festival

This is now a National Heritage monument.

Culture

The contribution of Karnataka to the composite culture of India is no way inferior to that of any other region of India. Its contribution in the fields of art, music, religion and philosophy are exemplary. The culture of Karnataka is so vibrant that it adds new flavor to its very existence. Belavadi is a village located at a distance of 29 km from Chikmagalur town and about 12 km from Halebidu, Karnataka. It is home to one of the best examples of Hoysala architecture, the Veeranarayana temple. Known to legend as Ekachakranagara, Belavadi is said to be the place mentioned in Mahabharatha where Pandava prince Bheema killed the demon Bakasura and protected the village and its people.