Gaurishvara Temple, Yelandur

The Gaurishvara Temple is in the town of Yelandur in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka. It was built by Singedepa Devabhupala, a local chief of the Hadinadu chiefdom, which was a 16th-century feudatory of the Vijayanagara Empire. Its sanctum holds a linga, the emblem of Shiva.

The plan is plain: a sanctum, a closed hall and an open hall on granite pillars. What stands out is the grand entrance, which has no tower over it. Known as a bale mantapa, or bangled hall, it is hung with chains of stone rings, and its walls are thickly carved with scenes from the Puranas and the epics. The closed hall keeps images of Vishnu, Shanmukha, Parvati, Bhairava, Virabhadra, Ganapati and two forms of Durga, including Mahishasuramardini.