At Belur in Karnataka, on the bank of the Yagachi river, stands the Chennakeshava temple, a supreme masterpiece of Hoysala art, built by King Vishnuvardhana in the early twelfth century. Dedicated to Vishnu as Chennakeshava, the handsome Kesava, the temple is a marvel of soapstone sculpture — every surface carved with breathtaking detail, from friezes of elephants and epic scenes to the celebrated madanikas, the graceful celestial maidens on its bracket figures.
Still a living place of worship after nine centuries, Belur is honoured, with its sister temples, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site among the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas. Uniting profound devotion with the artistic genius of a golden age, Chennakeshava is among the crowning glories of temple art in India.
Hoysala temples are built on star-shaped platforms from soapstone — soft enough to carve like wood when quarried, hardening with exposure to air.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage: Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas (2023)
