After a wait of nearly five long years since I first began my Hoysala expeditions, and after having lived just 6 kilometers away from the place all through my childhood, this was the first time I was visiting Anekere and the Channakeshava Temple situated in this little sleepy hamlet. This temple belonging to the Hoysala period (built around 1119 AD according to the inscriptions available) near the town of Channarayapatna in Hassan District of Karnataka appears to be one of the first attempts at measuring the potential of extravagant carvings that is common in the architectures erected during the time.
Simple, yet complete, this ekakuta (single main shrine) temple housing Lord Channakeshava in its sanctum, is specifically attractive for three reasons. One is the completeness of the temple complex with the surrounding veranda of pillar-supported circumambulating platform. Second, the huge stone carved kalasha on top of the vimana gopura above the main sanctum, and a third being the carving of a three headed cobra holding on to the shape of a shankha (conch) at the very center of the most elaborate bhuvaneshwari ceiling inside the temple.
Here is a small video of pictures I took at the temple:
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