Madhukeshwara, Banavasi

Kadamba-era capital shrine — among Karnataka’s oldest living temples.

दर्शन महत्व: History buffs share Banavasi as ‘where Karnataka began’.

यात्रा का सर्वश्रेष्ठ समय: Oct–Feb

History

Madhukeshwara at Banavasi is among Karnataka’s oldest living temples, in the Kadamba capital on the Varada river. The lingam and later additions span from early Kadamba stone-work to later Kannada dynasties.

Legends

• The lingam is associated with madhu (honey) — a forest offering to Mahadev in the Kadamba heartland.
• Banavasi is remembered as the place ‘where Karnataka’s temple culture began’.