Two-storied shrine facing north built on the exterior wall surrounding girbagriha
Two-storied shrine facing north
The two-storied structure shown in the image is one of the three shrines in the temple attached to the outer wall surrounding the garbhagriha (inner sanctum) of the Chennakeshava Temple in Belur, Karnataka, India. It is located on the north side of the temple.
As you can see from the image, a statue of Vishnu is standing inside the inner sanctum. Each story of this shrine has a balcony with beautifully decorated balustrades. The water from the shrine drops into a small tank made of stone. A small statue of Ganesha, Shiva’s son with the head of an elephant, is placed below the second-floor balcony.
Notice the three layers of beautifully carved frieze below the first floor. The bottom layer is a row of elephants, the middle layer is a row of lions with some men fighting them, and the top layer is a row of people riding horses. It is interesting to note that no two carvings in a row are alike.
The shrine is flanked by two squarish pillars. The left pillar has a relief of Vishnu and the right pillar depicts Shiva slaying Andakasura.
Related Pages
Hoysala Temples
– Belur Chennakeshava Temple – Bracket Figures
– Belur Chennakeshava Temple – Navaranga
– Belur Chennakeshava Temple – Garbhagriha Outer Wall
– Kappe Chennigaraya Shrine
– Somanathapura Keshava Temple
Badami Chalukya Temples
– Badami, Cave – 1, Cave – 2, Cave – 3, Cave – 4
– Durga Temple at Aihole
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