Vidyasankara Temple

Vidyasankara Temple was built by a sage called Vidyaranya in 1338 AD. The temple is devoted to Vidyashankara, who is believed to have resided here in the 14th century. The structure of the temple reflects the Southern Indian, Dravidian, Chalukyan and Vijayanagara architectural styles. It has various inscriptions reflecting the contributions made by the rulers of the Vijayanagara Kingdom.

The temple is rectangular in shape and has around 12 pillars, popularly known as the zodiac pillars. These pillars have carvings of twelve zodiac symbols. All the pillars were designed with the help of astronomical concepts. The garbha griha has an idol of Goddess Durga and Lord Vidya Ganesha. The idols of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Maheshwara, along with their consorts are also enshrined in the garbha griha.  

Another attraction of the temple is the central ceiling , known for its architecture. Other roofs of this temple have sloping channelled slabs. Carvings of images of Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Goddess Kali, Shanmukha, the Dasavataras and various animals can be seen in the basement of the shrine. During the Kartika Shukla Paksha, the festival of Vidyatirtha Rathotsava is celebrated in this temple.

Timing:        7 am - 1 pm
            5 pm – 8:30 pm