Ananthasayana Temple

The Ananthasayana temple stands in Ananthasayanagudi in Vijayanagara district, Karnataka. It was built in 1524 by the Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya in memory of his son, who had died, though the inscription recording its history is missing. It is named for Vishnu reclining on the serpent Ananta.

The temple is unusual for its long rectangular sanctuary, entered through three doorways and designed to hold a reclining image of Vishnu. Only the long granite pedestal remains of the image. The walls are of plastered brick, and the vaulted roof with semicircular ends rises about 24 metres, still standing though partly restored. A large mandapa on tall columns precedes the sanctuary. A legend tells of a guide bringing the idol here who was told not to look back; when he did, the idol stuck fast at Holalu and never reached the shrine.