Belur Temple

Introduction to the Belur Temple

The Chennakeshava Temple, or Belur Temple, is a 12th-century Hindu temple in Belur, Karnataka. It is an important pilgrimage site in Vaishnavism. The temple is also known as Vijayanarayana Temple and Kesava Temple. It is one of the heritage sites of India declared by UNESCO.

History of the Belur Temple

The Hoysala king, Vishnuvardhana, commissioned the Belur Temple in 1117 CE on the Yagachi River banks in Belur. Histories reveal that the temple was built to commemorate the victory of King Vishnuvardhana against the Western Chalukya Empire.

Visitors can see 108 inscriptions in the Kannada language in the Belur Temple. It has a big, open hall depicting the Hoysala architectural style and a vast platform.

The Architecture of the Belur Temple

The Belur Temple took 103 years to complete. Over 1,000 artisans contributed their creativity to this architectural wonder. It is one of the five foundations of King Vishnuvardhana's legacy.

The Belur Temple is locally known as Kalasagar for its stunning carvings and sculptures. There are over eighty Madanika, beautifully sculpted statues in various poses like hunting, dancing, standing under tree canopies, etc.

The Belur Temple artwork depicts scenes of secular life in the 12th century, musicians, and dancers, as well as a pictorial narration of Hindu epics, Ramayana, and Mahabharata. This Vaishnavite temple also includes many themes from Shaivism, Shaktism, and images of Buddhism and Jainism.

The Belur Temple has a five-tiered Raja Gopuram, measuring 100 feet in height. It has a 443.5 ft X 396 ft court with several Hindu temples and small shrines inside a walled compound. The temple faces the east direction.

The star-shaped sanctum sanctorum of Chennakeshava lies in the middle of the complex, facing the east direction. The sanctum lies on a three-foot-high platform terrace (Jagati). The presiding deity Chennakeshava, an incarnation of Vishnu, stands 6 feet tall. The four-armed deity's 2 upper arms hold a discus and a conch, while the lower two hold a mace and a lotus. 'Chenna' means' lovely,' and 'Kesava' means 'Vishnu' in Kannada. On either side of the sanctum are seven-foot sculptures of Jaya and Vijaya. The shrine's vimana is made of brick and gold-plated copper sheets. But the sheets crumbled during natural disasters. So, the temple dismantled them in 1879.

Among 48 temple pillars, the Narasimha pillar is among the most popular. There is also a unique pillar that stands on its own at a 42-meter height without any foundation. It is called the Gravity pillar.

There are two main Sthambhams (pillars) in the Belur Temple complex. The Garuda (eagle) Sthambham, facing the sanctum, was erected in the Vijayanagar period. The pillar on the right of the Garuda Sthambham is the Deepa Sthambham (pillar with lamp), which dates from the Hoysala period. A Vahana Mandap is near the Viranarayana temple where the Ratha and temple vehicles have traditionally been stored. Kalyana Mandap is in the southeast corner; it is used for offering ceremonies. It was constructed in the 17th century.

Kappe Chennigaraya temple is on the right of the sanctum. An incarnation of Lakshmi Devi, Sowmyanayaki, graces from a small shrine. Ranganayaki temple lies on the left of the sanctum.

The Viranarayana temple lies to the west of the sanctum. Though small, it has a Navaranga (nine square halls) and a Garbhagriha (sanctum) with 59 large reliefs on the outer walls. These reliefs honor Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Bhairava, Parvati, Lakshmi, Saraswati, and other deities. This temple was also built in the 12th century.

Koneru: The big tank was built during the time of Narasimha Raya. It is also known as Vishnu Samudra. During the Vijaya Nagara reign, the time of Krishna Devaraya, Basappa Naayaka, the chief of Utpatanahalli, made the North end of the Vishnu Samudra quadrangular. He arranged comfortable steps on all three sides of the Koneru tank and transformed the structure into the holy Pushkarani. So, devotees and priests can climb down and take the sacred water for daily austerities. Basappa Naayaka also built an island Mandap in the middle of the Pushkarani for the float festival.

Festivals in Belur Temple

The main festival, Rathotsava, is celebrated in Belur Temple in March-April, 12 days after Ugadi or Kannadiga New Year every year. The Utsava Murti will be on a huge wooden chariot for two days. On the first day, the procession covers the eastern part of the temple, and on the 2nd day, it covers other aspects. A fair or Jatra is held during the Rathotsava that lasts for ten days.