Belur (Beluru)

India Heritage City.
Belur (Beluru in Kannada) was the capital of the Hoysala Empire. With Halebid, this is one of the major tourist destinations in the district of Hassan in Karnataka, India. According to inscriptions discovered, it was also referred to as Velapuri. The main attraction in Belur is the Chennakeshava temple, which is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture. It was built by king Vishnuvardhana in commemoration of his victory over the Cholas at Talakadu in 1117 AD. Legend has it that it took 103 years to complete with Vishnuvardhana's grandson completing the work started by his grandfather. The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes with no portion left blank. The intricate workmanship includes elephants, episodes from the Indian mythological epics, and sensuous dancers (the Shilabalikas). Inside the temple are a number of filigreed pillars. This temple along with the Jaina monuments at Shravanabelagola are being proposed as UNESCO world heritage site.