Belur, Karnataka


Belur, is a Town Municipal Council and taluka in Hassan district in the state of Karnataka, India. The town is renown for its Chennakeshava Temple, one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture.

History

Belur was the early capital of the Hoysala Empire. Belur along with Halebidu about 16 km away are one of the major tourist destinations in Karnataka. Belur is located in Hassan district. According to inscriptions discovered here, it was also referred to as Velur or Velapuri. It was the early capital of the Hoysala kings in 11th-century and remained a second capital through the 14th-century. The city was so esteemed by the Hoysalas that it is referred to as "earthly Vaikuntha" and "Dakshina Varanasi" in later inscriptions..
The mineral beryl and the element beryllium might have gotten the name from this city.

Location and transportation

Belur is in Hassan district of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is about northwest of Hassan. The town is about west of Bengaluru, about 3.5 hours drive accessible with a four lane NH75 highway through Hassan. Hassan and Chikmagalur are the closest cities near Belur that are connected by railway network to major cities of Karnataka. Belur has an elevation of above sea level.
There are regular buses to Belur from Bengaluru, Chikmagalur, Halebidu, Kadur, Hassan, Hospet, Mangalore, Mysore to Belur. Belur is a small town and most hotels are outside Hassan city on the Belur road, Halebidu road, in Hassan or Chikmagalur. The temple is about from Halebidu temples.

Agriculture and commerce

The primary mode of employment in the Belur region is agriculture and tourism. Crops grown include coffee, rice, finger millet, pepper, cardamom, ginger and sugarcane, with paddy being dominant.

Tourism

Belur is home to a Vishnu-related Hoysala Hindu temple complex from the 12th century called the Kesava Temple at Belur. This temple along with Hoysaleshwara Temple and Jain temples in Halebidu have been proposed as UNESCO world heritage sites.

Nearby sites