Belur

The Bangalore Airport is the closest airport to Belur. From there one can take either a bus or a taxi to reach the place. The Hassan Junction is the nearest railway station to Belur. From the station one can take either a bus or a taxi to reach Belur. There are many KSRTC buses that will reach one to Belur. If one wants they can also hire a taxi to reach Belur. If one wants to enjoy and have a good time at Belur then they should visit Belur from the months of October to April.

There are many places where one can stay near Belur. The prices too are affordable. Some of the names of the places are Hotel Mayura Velapuri, Sumukha Residency Belur,Coffee Bean Villa Sakleshpur, Rainbow Comforts Lodge, Treebo Trend Orchid Hotel,etc. There are also many places where one can eat food at. Some of the names of the restaurants are  Angels Family Restaurant Multi Cuisine, Al Kareem Hotel, Samrudhi Dosa Corner, Hotel Sri Vinayaka Veg, Hotel Family Majestic Restaurant,etc.

The Chennakesava Temple is one of the best examples of Hoysala architecture. It was built by King Vishnuvardhana who was a Hoysala ruler. It is considered to be one of the earliest temples made by the dynasty.This temple was the centrepiece of the Hoysala Kingdom and it is closest associated with the military achievements of King Vishnuvardhana.It was built using soapstone. In order to build this temple the best architects and artists were hired so that they could create this masterpiece. The two ornate pillars of this temple, one which is a Garuda and the other with a lamp, are quite famous.  The outer walls of the temple have some really great artwork with dancing girls in various postures. The Narasimha Pillar is also another pillar which should not be missed when one visits this temple. To the right of this temple one finds the  Kappe Chennigaraya Temple  and another smaller temple. To the left of this temple one finds the Ranganayaki Temple which one can visit.

The Kappe Chennigaraya Temple is another temple which is found close to the Chennakesava Temple. This temple is also known as the Frog temple. There is a reason as to why this temple came to be known as the Frog temple. According to a popular tale Jakanachari was sculpting the temple when his son whose name was Dakanachari came and told him that there was a frog in the stone. Jakanachari did not believe him and said that he would cut his own hand if this was not true. But when he found out this was actually true he cut off his own hand. Thus the temple came to be known as the Frog Temple.

The Pathaleshwara Temple is not very popular but it still has characteristics of Hoysala architecture. This temple has jet black Hoysala pillars. The halls of the temple too have characteristics of Hoysala architecture and are surrounded by dense bushes but are almost in ruins now.

The Hoysaleswara Temple is another temple that one can visit. It is located in Halebidu. The construction of this temple began approximately in the 12th century by the then king of Hoysala but later in the 14th century the temple was looted and now all that one gets to see are ruins. The temple was built of soapstone.This temple is surrounded by mantapas, lakes and even ponds. Here in the temple there are two shrines out of which one was for the King and the other was for the Queen. The figures on the walls of the temple show scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata. At the entrance of the temple one even finds an image of a dancing Ganesha. This temple is believed to have almost 240 images and no other temple has so many sculptures. One should also see the Garuda Stambha. This is a rare pillar which shows the history of the bodyguards who accompanied the King. The Garuda Stambha pays homage to a bodyguard who killed himself after his master died. Thus this is why UNESCO has declared this temple as a Heritage site.

The Yagachi Dam is another interesting place to visit. It was built in the year 2001 across the Yagachi River. The purpose behind building this dam was to help in irrigation and also meet the needs of drinking water in Belur, Chikmagalur and Hassan. One can sit near the reservoir here and watch the calm water. For all those who love adventure the Yagachi Water Adventure Sports Centre is in the backwaters of this dam and it is made to attract tourists here. One can indulge in water sports here like banana boat ride, speed boat, kayaking, jet skiing,etc

Shravanabelagola is another town which  is famous for its historical sites and also Jain Temples. The Bahubali Statue is very famous here. Lord Bahubali is the son of the first Jain Tirthankara.This statue is supposed to be the tallest monolithic stone statue in the world. It is made of a single block of granite. This statue is found in the Gomateshwara Temple which is on the Vindhyagiri Hill. There are also several other basidis that one finds here.

Thus being historically and culturally important,Belur surely is an interesting place to visit.