Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi
Shimoga district, Karnataka
The Kedareshvara temple is located in the town of Balligavi, near Shikaripura in the Shimoga district of Karnataka state, India. Dotted with centres of learning (agrahara), Balligavi was an important city during the 11th - 12th century Western Chalukya rule. The term Anadi Rajadhani used in medieval inscriptions to describe this town tells a tale of great antiquity. Art historian Adam Hardy classifies the style involved in the construction of the temple as "Later Chalukya, non mainstream, relatively close to mainstream". He dates the temple to late 11th century, with inscriptional evidence of additions made up to 1131, by the Hoysalas during their control over the region. The building material used is soapstone. The Archaeological Survey of India classifies the style of architecture as distinctly Hoysala. The Hoysala ruling family was during this period a powerful feudatory of the imperial Western Chalukya Empire, gaining the trappings of independence only from the period of King Vishnuvardhana. The temple is protected as a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India.
From the Wikipedia article Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it is
Shimoga district, Karnataka. Open in Google Maps
How to reach
- By train: nearest station Murdeshwar railway station (MRDW), about 108 km by road.
- By air: Hubballi Airport (HBX), about 136 km by road.
In-depth temple guides nearby
- Sri Mookambika Temple, Kollur – Kollur, Byndoor taluk, Udupi district (on the Sowparnika river, below Kodachadri) (about 94 km)
- Murudeshwar Temple – Murudeshwar, Bhatkal taluk, Uttara Kannada district, on the Arabian Sea coast (about 111 km)
- Shri Mahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna – Gokarna, Kumta taluk, Uttara Kannada district (about 127 km)
- Sri Sharadamba Temple, Sringeri – Sringeri, Chikkamagaluru district, on the Tunga river in the Western Ghats (about 136 km)
- Sri Krishna Matha, Udupi – Car Street (Ratha Beedi), Udupi, Udupi district (about 162 km)
Timings and rituals for this temple aren't in our guide yet – check locally before you travel. More temples in Karnataka