Name: Veera Narayana Temple

Location: It is located in the village of Belavadi, in the Chikmagalur district of the state of Karnataka in India.

Historical Timeline: The temple was built by the Hoysala dynasty based at Halebidu, who ruled in the 12th -13th century AD. It was built during the reign of King Vishnuvardhan in 1117 AD.

Visit Timings: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Deity: The main deity is Veera Narayana, a form of Lord Vishnu. There are two other deities called Yoga Narsimha and Venugopala, both also being incarnations of Lord Vishnu.

Accessibility route: Belavadi is 29 km southeast of Chikmagalur town on the Chikmagalur-Javagal highway. It is only 10 kilometers away from Halebid. The nearest railway stations are at Kadur and Birur. Belavadi is around 220 kilometres from Bangalore. One can travel by road by taking the route Bangalore – Nelamangala – Kunigal – Channarayapatna – Hassan – Halebid to reach Belavadi. Another shorter route is via Tumkur, in which one has to drive through Nelamangala-Tumkur-Gubbi-Tiptur-Arsikere-Javagal to reach Belavadi. The drive takes around ... More

Name: Veera Narayana Temple

Location: It is located in the village of Belavadi, in the Chikmagalur district of the state of Karnataka in India.

Historical Timeline: The temple was built by the Hoysala dynasty based at Halebidu, who ruled in the 12th -13th century AD. It was built during the reign of King Vishnuvardhan in 1117 AD.

Visit Timings: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Deity: The main deity is Veera Narayana, a form of Lord Vishnu. There are two other deities called Yoga Narsimha and Venugopala, both also being incarnations of Lord Vishnu.

Accessibility route: Belavadi is 29 km southeast of Chikmagalur town on the Chikmagalur-Javagal highway. It is only 10 kilometers away from Halebid. The nearest railway stations are at Kadur and Birur. Belavadi is around 220 kilometres from Bangalore. One can travel by road by taking the route Bangalore – Nelamangala – Kunigal – Channarayapatna – Hassan – Halebid to reach Belavadi. Another shorter route is via Tumkur, in which one has to drive through Nelamangala-Tumkur-Gubbi-Tiptur-Arsikere-Javagal to reach Belavadi. The drive takes around 3-4 hours.

Nearby Places (Landmarks): Belavadi is at a short distance from the famous temple towns of Belur and Halebidu, Hiremagalur and Chikmagalur, which showcase some of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture. Chikmagalur is also famous for its coffee plantations, the scenic Baba Budan Giri hills and the lofty Mullayangiri peak at 6400 feet. In Belavadi there is a big tank ascribed to one Dhanakaraya, a local chief in whose honour a temple has also been constructed on its bank. It was originally a Jain center. Later Krishnaraja Wadiyar II gave this village as a grant to the Sringeri Matha. There is also a Ganapati temple and the main deity is variously known as Huttada (ant hill) Ganapati, Udhbhava Ganapati and Varada (boon) Ganapati. This temple is being maintained by the Sringeri Matha. The Matha also runs a kitchen which provides free mid-day meal to students. The other temples in Belavadi which can be visited are the Shankareshwara temple and the recently restored Basaveshwara Temple.

Philosophy: The Veera Narayana temple at Belavadi follows the Vaikhanasa Agama. This refers to the fundamental philosophy derived from its founder, Sage Vaikhanasa, which believes in the rituals and worship of Lord Vishnu. It holds that temple worship is a continuation of Vedic fire sacrifice, and since bhakti or devotion alone is not enough, proper icon worship is necessary to attain self-realization.

Active/Inactive-Dormant: Active temple