Religious HeritageUNESCO World Heritage Site

Belur - Chennakeshava Temple

Hassan · Closed now

It took three generations and 103 years to finish, and its soapstone walls are covered in dancers and musicians.

Usher Score

⭐ 7.5/10- Solid visit

Heritage★★★★★Experience★★★☆☆Comfort★★★☆☆Photography★★★★☆

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AddressBelur, Hassan District

Managed byArchaeological Survey of India (ASI) & Muzrai Department, Government of Karnataka

Today's hoursOpen today 7:30 AM - 7:30 PM

Tickets fromFrom ₹0

TypeHistoric Building

Location

About

Commissioned in 1117 CE by Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana on the banks of the Yagachi River, this temple took three generations and 103 years to complete. Its soapstone walls and pillars are covered in extraordinarily fine friezes of dancers, musicians, and mythological scenes, showcasing the full maturity of Hoysala craftsmanship. Still an active Vaishnava shrine, it draws pilgrims alongside visitors.

Did you know? Some of the temple's slender bracket figures are carved so finely that certain pillars are said to have been polished using techniques closer to lathe-work than chiseling, earning them the nickname "the Hoysala lathe."

Opening hours

Mon-Sun

7:30 AM - 7:30 PM

Tickets

Free Entry

₹0

Facilities

RestroomGuide (Local temple guides available)ShopParking

Nearby & related heritage

🏛️ UNESCO

Halebidu - Hoysaleshwara Temple

Halebidu, Hassan

Generations of master sculptors worked on it for over a century, wrapping its walls in epics and thousands of figures, and it was never fully completed.

Religious Heritage

Closed nowFrom ₹0

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