Belur Temple is one of the most magnificent temples of the Hoysala times. Located in Hassan district of Karnataka on the banks of River Yagach, Belur is a small town. Fondly known as the Varanasi of the South, Belur was the earlier capital of Hoysalas.

Belur Temple in Bangalore is called as the Chennakeshava temple and is devoted to Lord 'Chennakeshava' (handsome Vishnu). It is a huge temple which is 100 feet high. One of its main features is its grand tower at the entrance. The main temple is surrounded by other smaller temples. The shrines in the temples are not placed inside the cubical structures rather they are placed inside a star-shaped structure. And among all the shrines, main shrine looks stunning.

It was King Vishnuvardhana of Hoysala clan who built it in the Dravidian Style. To celebrate an important military victory in 1117 AD, Hoysala king constructed this grand temple. According to other sources, it was built when the king embraced Vaishnavism after Great Guru Sri Ramanujacharya advised him. Most of the temples in Belur were constructed by rich people living in the city except king. But the architectural style of this temple was different than the other temples. The temple was extraordinary in design. The temple was intricately carved and later on it was decorated more lavishly in 12th century by the grandson of the Hoysala king who commissioned this temple.

In the Bangalore Belur Temple, different dance poses of the noted dancer Shantala Devi of Hoysala period are sculptured on the brackets. From these structures, you can see the intricacy in designs of ornaments and hairstyles of Hoysala period. Other remarkable sculptures shown in the temple are about ceilings, doorways, animals, birds, dancers. These sculptures are so intricately designed; it looks as if they would come to life. Gorgeously decorated dvarapalaka (doorkeepers) adorn the doorways. Many mythological stories from Hindu Holy Scriptures such as The Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Puranas and Upnishads are carved on the walls of the temples.

This temple is among the most famous temples in Bangalore and is worth visiting. Large numbers of tourists who are interested in history visit this temple every year beside the devotees.