Belur, the ancient town of Hoysala Dynasty is located along the banks of Yagachi River. Hoysala King, Vishnuvardhana constructed the Hoysala temple complex to celebrate his religion conversion from Jainsm to Vaishnavism. Belur is well connected to Hassan by rail and Bangalore is the nearest airport.
Most famous is the Hoysaleshwar Temple, comprising two smaller shrines – Hoysaleshwara, dedicated to Lord Shiva and Shataleshwara, dedicated to Queen Shantaladevi. The star-shaped Channakeshava Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and portrays and image of Garuda (Vishnu’s Vahana). The four Mandanikas refer to voluptuously carved figures of women depicted on the temple brackets. The walls of the temples are intricately carved with animals, all of which are different from each other.
