Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi
Shiva (as Kedareshvara), with Brahma and Vishnu in the side shrines temple · Balligavi (Belagavi), Shikaripura taluk, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
The Kedareshvara Temple stands in Balligavi (also written Belagavi or Belagami), a village near Shikaripura in Shivamogga district, Karnataka. It is a triple-shrined (trikuta) temple facing east, built of soapstone in the late Western Chalukya period, with lingas in the western and southern shrines and an image of Vishnu in the northern one. It is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India as a Monument of National Importance.
In medieval times Balligavi was a major city. The Karnataka State Gazetteer for Shimoga district records that inscriptions styled it the 'mother of cities' and anadi rajadhani, 'the immemorial capital', and that it served as capital of the Banavasi-12000 province. The Kedareshvara temple, known in inscriptions as Dakshina Kedareshvara ('the Kedara of the south'), was its leading Shaiva institution.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi
The temple was a principal centre of the Kalamukha school of Shaivism. The gazetteer notes that the temple was administered by Kalamukha ascetics, that it held lands and much wealth, and that the teachers of its Kodiya Matha, whose names typically ended in 'Shakti', were honoured in the inscriptions of the time, some as royal preceptors (rajagurus). It describes Balligavi as a renowned centre of higher learning, with five mathas, several agraharas (scholarly settlements) and colleges, and free boarding and lodging provided by the mathas to the poor.
Balligavi is also tied to the Veerashaiva tradition. The gazetteer associates the town with saints including Allama Prabhu, who is described as a native of the area, and Akka Mahadevi, whose birthplace Udutadi lies a short distance away. Wikipedia notes that some inscriptions connect the temple with the legend of the demon king Bali, from whom the town's name is said to derive; the gazetteer also records this legend.
The site matters to the history of Karnataka temple art. The gazetteer records that sculptors trained at Balligavi went on to work for the Hoysala kings, among them Dasoja of Balligave, whose signature is found on sculptures at Belur, and that the historian B. L. Rice believed the Kedareshvara temple at Halebidu was modelled on this one.
Heritage
History of Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi
Art historian Adam Hardy, cited by Wikipedia, dates the temple to the late 11th century, classing it as late Chalukya, with inscriptions recording additions up to 1131 CE under the Hoysalas, who were then powerful feudatories of the Western Chalukyas. A Hoysala crest was later added in front of each of the towers. The gazetteer records that the Kalachuri king Bijjala camped at Balligavi in 1162 and made grants to the Dakshina Kedareshvara temple, and Wikipedia notes a Kannada inscription of Bijjala at the temple dated 1161. Kalamukha teachers are mentioned in records up to the early Vijayanagara period.
Today the temple stands in a lawned compound maintained by the ASI, with a small site museum beside it. A 2011 Deccan Herald report describes the museum as holding relics and inscriptions collected from the area, including Jain images, and Wikipedia notes a four-faced Brahma displayed there. The same report quotes a priest at the temple, while a 2019 Swarajya essay described the temple as no longer the busy institution it once was.
Architecture and sacred features
According to the gazetteer, the three shrines open on to a central hall: only the western shrine has a full vestibule, with a doorway flanked by pierced stone screens and a lintel showing Shiva attended by Brahma, Vishnu, Ganesha and Shanmukha, and it holds a round-topped linga. The three towers are three-tiered, with square spires and stone finials. Wikipedia describes the towers as vesara in style, with the Hoysala emblem of a warrior stabbing a lion on the projecting front of the tower.
The open hall has a staggered square plan. Its outer pillars are sixteen-sided and fluted, the inner ones polished and lathe-turned, and the flat ceilings carry carved lotuses; the central ceiling shows Shiva dancing as Tandaveshvara surrounded by the eight guardians of the directions, a design also noted by the Deccan Herald. A large Nandi faces the shrine. The gazetteer considers the temple similar in type to the Kaitabheshvara temple at Kubatur, though smaller and triple-shrined.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
The temple and museum are maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India; do not climb on the structure or touch the carvings, and follow ASI rules on photography. The village also has the Tripurantakeshvara temple and other old monuments described in the district gazetteer. Confirm current opening hours, any entry charges and worship arrangements with the ASI or local authorities before visiting.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Archaeological Survey of India (protected monument) before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi
Rathotsava (car festival)
The 1975 Shimoga District Gazetteer records an annual car festival of the Kedareshvara temple held about March.
Location
How to Reach Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi
Balligavi is about 21 km north-west of Shikaripura town, according to the district gazetteer, and Wikipedia gives it as about 72 km from Shivamogga city and 2.3 km from Shiralakoppa. Shivamogga is the district headquarters and the most convenient base for longer journeys.
Location: Balligavi (Belagavi), Shikaripura taluk, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
More in Hindu temples in Karnataka · Shiva (as Kedareshvara), with Brahma and Vishnu in the side shrines temples · Temples in Shimoga District
Questions
Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi: Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Kedareshvara Temple at Balligavi important?
It is a well-preserved late Chalukya triple-shrined temple, was the main centre of the Kalamukha Shaiva school in the region, and stands in Balligavi, once the capital of the Banavasi province. It is protected by the ASI.
Which deities are in the Kedareshvara Temple?
Lingas in the western and southern shrines (the southern one is said to represent Brahma) and an image of Vishnu in the northern shrine.
Who were the Kalamukhas of Balligavi?
A school of Shaiva ascetics who administered the Kedareshvara temple and ran its Kodiya Matha, a celebrated centre of learning whose teachers were honoured as royal preceptors in 11th- and 12th-century inscriptions.
How old is the Kedareshvara Temple?
Adam Hardy dates it to the late 11th century, with additions recorded up to 1131 CE; the Kalachuri king Bijjala made grants to it in 1161–62.
Which saints are linked with Balligavi?
The district gazetteer associates the town with Veerashaiva saints including Allama Prabhu, a native of the area, and Akka Mahadevi, whose birthplace Udutadi is nearby.
How do I reach Balligavi?
Balligavi is about 21 km north-west of Shikaripura and about 72 km from Shivamogga city, close to Shiralakoppa.
Sources and attribution
- Government of Karnataka – Karnataka State Gazetteer, via Internet Archive — Karnataka State Gazetteer: Shimoga District (1975), 'Belagavi' and chapters on history and art
- Deccan Herald — History in a pastoral set-up (1 August 2011)
- Swarajya — Pankaj Saxena, What To Do When A Living Temple Isn't Grand And A Grand Temple Isn't Living Any More? (28 October 2019)
- Wikipedia — Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi
- Wikipedia — Balligavi
- Wikipedia — List of Monuments of National Importance in Bangalore circle (entry N-KA-B168)
Further reading: Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Write to info@hindutone.com — see our editorial policy.
Pilgrim Circuit