Belur became the capital of the Hoysala rulers after Halebid was destroyed. I just saw the main attraction - the Chennakeshava Temple. By the time we came to Belur from Halebid, it had a rained a little and was cloudy. The pictures are not as bright as it should have been.

The entrance (Gopuram) to the Chennakeshava temple was built much later and built in the traditional dravidan style.

Chennakeshava Temple is dedicted to Lord Vishnu. Like the Halebid temple, it is built in the Hoysala style and has 32 star shaped edges (half the size of Halebid temple).

The Vishnu idol is still worshipped today. It's made of black stone, but now covered with silver ornaments.

Outside the sanctum sanctorum is also another carving of Vishnu.

The roof has circular carvings with a carving of Narasimha as the centre piece.

The Belur carvings are similar but smaller than those in Halebid. But, what makes it unque from Halebid, is the carvings of Women along the roof holdings. Here you can see them in various poses - Makeup, with parrot, with a drum, etc.

We cannot forget Narasimha can we?.

This is however a not so common sculpture of Durga dancing on a elephant.

Hoysala means "Strike! Sala". Sala was the head of the Clan and legend has it that he slayed a Lion. This sculpture shows him slaying the beast.

At the entrance of the temple there is an idol of Garuda (Vishnu's vehicle).

In the center of the temple (outside) are these giant footprints which are worshipped as Vishnu's footprints.

A picture of the lamp tower (where oil lamps were lit) with the temple in the background. Note that the platform on which the tower is built is also star shaped.