The Chennakeshava Temple in Belur is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and active worship still goes on in this temple. The building was commissioned by the Hoysala king Vishnuwardhana who ruled the Hoysalas in the 12th century and converted from Jainism to Hinduism.
Like the Hoysaleshwara Temple, the Chennakeshava temple is star-shaped and stands on a platform. The stone that was used to build these temples is called chloritic schist and is a type of soapstone.
At the base of the outer walls are friezes of charging elephants (650 of them) which symbolize stability and strength, above which are lions which symbolize courage, and further up are horses which symbolize speed. Above the horses are panels with floral designs signifying beauty above which are sculptures depicting the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
The temple took 103 years to build.
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