Kan: ಬೇಲೂರು bēlūru

‘Radiant Town’ [Velur, Velapuri, Beluhur] Town, Karnataka (Kar)

From Kan: beḷ/veḷ, ‘bright’, shining’; and ūr/ūru, ‘town’, ‘village’.

Belur is famous for its 12thC Chennakesava temple [from Kan: canna/cenna, ‘handsome’, ‘elegant’; and Skt: keśava, ‘(name of) Vishnu’], an excellent example of ornate Hoysala sculpture.

It is suggested that the ‘beryl’ gem [Lat: beryllus, Gk: bēryllos] comes from the same root word as the town: the region has been famous for its emerald deposits since ancient times.

 

Narasimha, Chennakeshava Temple (Belur)

Narasimha, Chennakeshava Temple (Belur)          Jean-Pierre Dalbéra