Veeranarayana Temple, Gadag

The Veeranarayana Temple in Gadag, Karnataka, is a Vishnu temple built around the 11th century by the Chalukyas of Kalyani and fully renovated in the 14th century by the Vijayanagara kings. It is protected by the ASI, and its priests are Madhva Brahmins of the Uttaradi Matha. The Kannada poet Kumara Vyasa, who called Gadag home and this deity his favourite, ended each canto of his Kannada Mahabharata with a reference to it; legend says he completed the epic at a particular pillar in the hall. An inscription of about 1539 records a gift from King Achyuta Deva Raya.

The temple combines three styles. The main entrance and gopura are Vijayanagara work, the Garuda pillar in the courtyard and the gathering hall are Hoysala, and the inner hall beside the sanctum is Chalukya. The deity, 'Brave Narayana', stands holding conch, discus, club and lotus, his dhoti tied in warrior fashion as if ready for battle, with Lakshmi and Garuda beside him.