Hoysala Expedition Part 39: Moola Sindheshwara Temple, Bellur

Bellur is a town on the outskirts of the Bangalore - Mangalore national highway approaching Channarayapatna, and it belongs to the district of Mandya, Karnataka. In addition to the similarity of its name to the Hoysala city of grandeur, Belur, this town also hosts a few temples from that period, some of which have been completely rebuilt or have gotten destroyed over a period of time. One of them that still stands is the Moola Sindheshwara Temple, constructed in 1224 AD according to the inscriptions available, during the reign of King Veera Ballala II.



Situated at a quiet corner of the town next to the "Gowri Pond", this temple is a trikuta temple, which has been renovated in parts recently. Historically, the temple had, in its three sanctum sanctorums, the idols of Sindheshwara (a Shiva Linga), Lakshmi Narayana and Venugopala, again signifying the peaceful co-existence of the Shaivaite and Vishnavite beliefs. Currently only the Sindheshwara linga remains, while the slightly broken statues of Lakshmi Narayana and Venugopala reside at Adi Madhavaraya temple, the other major Hoysala temple of the town.


Here's a small video collage:

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