Keladi Rameshwara Temple

Keladi gives its name to the Keladi Nayaka dynasty, a line of chiefs who rose from local Vijayanagara feudatories to rule an independent kingdom stretching across much of what is now coastal and Malnad Karnataka from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, before falling to Hyder Ali of Mysore. The Rameshwara temple at Keladi, their original capital, predates the dynasty’s rise but became closely associated with their patronage once they came to power.

Its carved pillars and sculpted panels show a blend of late Hoysala and Vijayanagara idioms, reworked and expanded under Keladi patronage, making the temple as much a record of dynastic identity as a place of worship — a role reinforced by the small museum nearby that houses Keladi-era artefacts and inscriptions.

Getting there: Keladi is about 6 km from Sagar town in Shivamogga district; the post office serves the village adjoining the temple.