Belur Halebidu – The Complete Travel Guide Table of Contents About Belur and Halebidu The towns of Belur and Halebidu are located in the Hassan district of Karnataka. These twin cities are around 17 km apart and together are the most popular tourist destinations in South India. These cities were home to the Hoysala dynasty for three centuries. The Belur and Halebidu temples are cut from chloritic schist – a soft stone allowing for intricately carved temple walls. Homestay Near Sakleshpur. Architectural Splendour of the Belur and Halebidu Temples The Belur and Halebidu temple architecture offers a glimpse of Hindu temple architecture during the 16th century. The Hoysala architects created a better version of the Chalukyan style of architecture by creating temples that were extremely ornate. In fact, they built several temples across Karnataka that are still known for wall sculptures, carved pillars etc.  The sculptures of these temples reflect the tradition of sandalwood and ivory handwork. In fact, the intricacy of the carvings can be compared only to the Khajuraho temples. The engineering techniques used to build the temple are also interesting. Temples in Belur Belur is known as Vaikuntha or Paradise on earth. There are many temples in this culturally rich town. Chenna Kesava Temple Dedicated to Lord Vijayanarayana, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, this temple was built by King Vishnuvardhana to commemorate the victory of Hoysalas over the Cholas in the Talakkad Battle. The Belur Chennakeshava temple has exquisite carvings displaying scenes from epics like the Mahabharata, Ramayana, etc. Kappe Chennigaraya Temple This is a small shrine located at the south end of the main Chenna Kesava Temple. It has a resemblance to the main temple and is dedicated to Kappe (frog) Chennigaraya. Veeranarayana Temple, Belavadi This temple is located at the west end of the Chenna Kesava Temple. It is dedicated to Veeranarayana or Lakshmi Narayana.  Temples in Halebidu Halebidu, also known as Dwarasamudra, was the capital city of the Hoysalas. This place is famous for the temples built during the Hoysala rule. Hoysaleswara temple The Hoysaleswara Temple Halebidu is dedicated to Lord Shiva and was built in the 12th century. It stands on the banks of the Dwarasamudra Lake in Halebidu. This is the most significant monument dedicated to Lord Shiva in South India. The Halebidu Hoysaleswara Temple was designed by the famous Shilpkar Kedoraja with beautiful wall sculptures depicting stories of different gods and Hoysala soldiers. The temple has two shrines – one dedicated to Hoysaleswara and the other to Shantaleswara (or Shantala Devi, the queen of King Vishnuvardhana). Basadi Halli At a short walk from the Hoysaleswara Temple is a group of three Jain shrines called Basadi Halli. The shrines are the Parswanathaswamy temple, Adinathaswamy temple, and the Shanthinathaswamy temple. They are famous for the pillars that are polished so well that they resemble mirrors. Homestay Near Sakleshpur. Kedareshwara Temple This is another temple in Halebidu dedicated to Lord Shiva depicted in the form of Shivalinga of Krishnashikla, a black stone. The temple was built in 1319 AD using Chalukyan-style architecture. In the basement of the structure, you can find sculptured friezes depicting stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, etc. How to Reach Belur and Halebidu from Bangalore When traveling from Bangalore, Halebidu falls before Belur. Here is how you can reach Belur and Halebidu from Bangalore: By Train Belur and Halebidu do not have a railway station. Hassan is the nearest railway station at a distance of around 40 km from Belur. Halebidu is a little closer with the distance being only 32 km. There are around 79 trains from Bangalore to Hassan. The fastest train is the Yesvantpur – Danapur One Trip Summer Special (via Ballari) that takes around two hours. Once you reach the Hassan Railway Station, you can book a taxi from Hassan to Belur or Halebidu. By Road The distance by road from Bangalore to Halebidu is around 210 km via NH75. You can drive or book a cab from Bangalore to Belur or Halebidu and enjoy the scenic road trip. By Flight There is no airport in Belur and Halebidu. Bangalore, Mysore, and Mangalore are the three closest airports to these twin towns. You can book a Bangalore airport to Belur taxi to reach this religious place with ease. How to Reach Belur and Halebidu from Mysore Belur and Halebidu are at a similar distance from Mysore. Here are different ways in which you can reach Belur and Halebidu from Bangalore: By Train Belur and Halebidu do not have a railway station. Hassan is the nearest railway station at a distance of around 40 km from Belur. Halebidu is a little closer with the distance being only 32 km. There are around 17 trains from Mysore to Hassan. The fastest train is the Mysuru – Talguppa Intercity Express that takes around two hours. Once you reach the Hassan Railway Station, you can book a taxi from Hassan to Belur or Halebidu. By Road The distance by road from Mysore to Belur and Halebidu is around 140-150 km via the Mysore-Hassan Road. You can drive or hire a chauffeur-driven Mysore to Belur and Halebidu taxi and enjoy the journey. By Flight There is no airport in Belur and Halebidu. Bangalore, Mysore, and Mangalore are the three closest airports to these twin towns. You can book a Mysore airport taxi to reach Belur and Halebidu.https://twitter.com/kstdc/status/1288804533347352576 How to Reach Belur and Halebidu from Mangalore Belur is closer to Mangalore than Halebidu. Here are different ways in which you can reach Belur and Halebidu from Mangalore: By Train Belur and Halebidu do not have a railway station. Hassan is the nearest railway station at a distance of around 40 km from Belur. Halebidu is a little closer with the distance being only 32 km. There are around 13 trains from Mangalore to Hassan. The fastest train is the Karwar – Yesvantpur Express (via Mangaluru) that takes around 5 hours and 15 minutes. Once you reach the Hassan Railway Station, you can book a taxi from Hassan to Belur or Halebidu. By Road The distance by road from