Tourist places › Fort & Temple
Keladi
A 16th-century temple town, first capital of the Keladi Nayakas, 8 km from Sagara
Keladi was the first capital of the Keladi Nayakas, a dynasty that broke away as the Vijayanagara Empire declined and later moved its capital to Ikkeri and then Bidanur (Nagara) before Hyder Ali folded the kingdom into Mysore. What remains is a compact temple courtyard — the Rameshwara temple flanked by Veerabhadra and Parvati temples — raised over multiple generations of Nayaka rulers.
The carving is Hoysala–Dravida in style, with panels of mythological scenes and animals, and a small on-site museum adds copper-plate inscriptions and Nayaka-era coins to the picture. It pairs naturally with a visit to Nagara Fort, the dynasty's later capital.
Highlights
- Rameshwara, Veerabhadra and Parvati temples share one courtyard, built across the 16th–17th centuries
- Hoysala–Dravida style stone carving, commissioned under the Keladi Nayaka rulers
- An on-site Keladi Museum holds copper inscriptions, palm-leaf manuscripts and Nayaka-period coins
Getting there
Buses on the Thirthahalli to Sagara route reach Sagara; Keladi is a short local hop (~8 km) beyond.