Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple is located in Turuvekere town, in the Tumakuru district of Karnataka. Chennakeshava Temple is approximately 850–900 years old, built around 1100–1150 CE. It represents the early phase of Hoysala temple architecture before the elaborate sculptural style of Belur and Halebeedu became dominant.
The temple is dedicated to Sri Chennakeshava, a beautiful and graceful form of Lord Vishnu. The deity stands holding the shankha, chakra, gada, and padma, symbolizing protection, knowledge, power, and blessing. The idol resembles the Belur Chennakeshava style but is much simpler and less ornamented, which gives it a calm and peaceful village-temple feel.
Goddess Sri Lakshmi, the divine consort of Vishnu, is worshipped in a separate shrine within the same complex.
Chennakeshava Temple is a classic example of early 12th-century Hoysala architecture.
It is a single-shrine (ekakuta) temple built in black soapstone with a compact yet elegant layout. The temple stands on a slightly raised jagathi platform, with a star-shaped design typical of the Hoysala style.
The Navaranga Hall has polished lathe-turned pillars supporting a beautifully carved ceiling. The doorway features makara toranas, miniature deities, scrollwork, and detailed lintel carvings. Outside, the walls are decorated with small reliefs of Vishnu avatars, dancers, musicians, and floral motifs.
Although the temple is not as richly sculpted as Belur, its simple, balanced design shows the early development of Hoysala craftsmanship.
The temple was built in the early 12th century, during the rule of Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana. Turuvekere was once an Agrahara town — a settlement donated to Brahmins and sculptors. Because of this, several Hoysala temples were built here, and the Chennakeshava Temple is one of the finest among them.
Local inscriptions mention that the temple was supported by merchant guilds, Brahmin scholars, and artisans who lived in Turuvekere during the Hoysala period. The temple also received donations for jewels, oil lamps, and land for its daily worship.
According to local belief, the place where the temple stands today was once a sacred spot where sages worshipped Vishnu in the Keshava form. It is said that a divine light appeared in the form of Chennakeshava to bless them with peace and wisdom.
The sages prayed that Vishnu remain in this place forever. When the Hoysalas later developed this region, the king and sculptors chose this very location and built the Chennakeshava Temple, believing it was a divinely chosen site.
Devotees believe that worshipping Chennakeshava here brings blessings related to education, good health, and family prosperity.
The temple celebrates Vaikunta Ekadashi, Brahmotsava, Krishna Janmashtami, Narasimha Jayanthi, and Karthika Deepotsava with devotion. Among these, Vaikunta Ekadashi is the most important, while Brahmotsava includes a small procession around the temple streets. Festivals are simple, traditional, and follow the quiet village-style celebrations of Turuvekere.
