Belur, a temple town in Karnataka state of India, has a proud legacy of ornately carved temples built by rulers of the Hoysala Dynasty. Among these, arguably the most famous one is the Chennakesava Temple, a temple that is not just beautiful but also functional as it’s still in use.
It’s named after the Hindu God Vishnu – ‘Chenna’ means good or handsome and ‘Kesava’ is a Sanskrit name for Lord Vishnu, appearing as the 23rd and 648th names in the Vishnu Sahasranama which contains ‘sahasra’ or thousand ‘nama’ or names of the God.
Near Belur are Halebid and Belavadi, both of which have more temples one can marvel at on account of the intricate details in their carvings. Read about the Veera Narayana Temple in Belavadi.