Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi, Hindu temple in Balligavi, India

The Kedareshvara Temple is a Hindu sanctuary in Balligavi village featuring three towers arranged in a trikuta design. The structure displays stepped entrances on multiple sides and decorated walls covered in intricate stone carvings that showcase fine craftsmanship.

Art historian Adam Hardy dates the temple to the late 11th century, with inscriptions recording additions up to 1131 made by the Hoysalas while they controlled the region as feudatories of the Western Chalukyas. Balligavi, called Anadi Rajadhani in medieval inscriptions, was an important Western Chalukya city with centres of learning.

The west and south shrines hold Shivalingas, while the north shrine holds an image of Vishnu. Lithic records link the temple to the demon Bali, and it once drew many followers of the Kalamukha sect of Shaivism. A four-faced Brahma image, possibly once inside the temple, is displayed in a museum in the complex.

The temple is located in Shimoga district in Karnataka and is protected as a national monument under Archaeological Survey of India supervision. Visitors should wear comfortable clothing and be prepared for uneven ground and multiple levels to navigate.

The temple's three shrines face east, north and south, and all open onto a six-pillared mahamantapa; the western shrine has a vestibule while the other two have half-halls. The open gathering hall in front is laid out as a staggered square, so its walls step in and out in projections and recesses, each projection fully carved. Entrances open from the north, south and east.