Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

1805 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
High medieval · Hindu · India

Brahmeshvara Temple, Kikkeri

Kikkeri, Mandya district, Karnataka · 12.7635°, 76.4291°

Shiva (as Brahmeshvara)HoysalaHoysala
Sacred since
1171 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
1171 (Hoysala)
Hoysala

History & significance

A Hoysala temple at Kikkeri finished in 1171, paid for by a woman named Bammave Nayakiti in the reign of Narasimha I, and drawing Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shakta imagery together. Its aedicules reproduce Nagara, Dravida, Vesara, Bhumija and hybrid tower forms, and it is a protected monument of the Karnataka heritage department.

Sthala katha — the legend

Village tradition holds that a tribal chief named Keeka asked a king for a settlement bearing his name, complete with temple, tank and fort.

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Related sites

Chennakesava Temple, Belur
Belur · India
consecrated 1117; ~103 years to finish
Hoysaleswara Temple, Halebidu
Halebidu · India
begun c. 1121
Keshava Temple, Somanathapura
Somanathapura · India
consecrated 1258
Chamundeshwari Temple
Chamundi Hills, Mysuru · India
12th c. (Hoysala); gopura 17th c.
Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Nuggehalli
Nuggehalli, Hassan · India
1246 (Hoysala)
Ishvara Temple, Arasikere
Arasikere, Hassan · India
c. 1220 (Hoysala)

Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Hoysala