Veeranarayana Temple, Gadag

Veeranarayana Temple in Gadag city is a Hindu temple known to have been built around c.1117 by the Hoysala empire King Vishnuvardhana after his conversion to the Hinduism. Gadag city is the administrative headquarters of Gadag district in the state of Karnataka, India. The primary deity in temple is the Hindu god Narayana (also known as Vishnu). The Veeranarayana temple is a protected monument under the Karnataka state division of the Archaeological Survey of India.HistoryHistory has it that Vishnuvardhana was influenced by Ramanujacharya when the saint cured a Hoysala princess of illness. Bitti Deva changed his name to "Vishnuvardhana", gave up his original faith Jainism, and became a Srivaishnava and a devotee of Ramanujacharya. The king built five temples for the god Vishnu: the Veeranarayana temple at Gadag, the Nambinarayana temple at Tondanur, the Chennakesava Temple at Belur, the Kirtinarayana temple at Talakad and the Cheluvanarayana temple at Melkote. 34 medieval inscriptions have been discovered in Gadag, mostly within the premises of the two important temples in the town: the "Veeranarayana" and the "Trikuteshwara" temples. From these inscriptions there is ample evidence Gadag was a notable place of learning administered by 72 mahajanas during ancient times.