The temples of Kolar district depict the story of Ramayana through its sculptures. Kolar district is situated in the southern plains of Karnataka and the mainstay of the economy is agriculture along with dairy and sericulture. The village of Kaivara is associated with the legends of the temples of Kolar district. Since the Pandavas spent their exile at this site, their form of art is explicitly noticeable in the temples of Kolar district. Most of the temples of Kolar district are dedicated to the incarnations of Bhimeshwara and Amaranarayana.
Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Kaudinya Mahaganapati Temple, Vijayendra Temple, Bhoganandishwara Temple are some of the temples of Kolar district. Sri Lakshmi Adinarayanaswamy Temple is a cave temple located at the top of Yellodu hills in Kolar District. This temple enshrines a stone idol named Udbhavamurthy without any jewels or ornaments. Special pujas are performed on every Sundays and a car festival is celebrated on the third Sunday of Magha month, third lunar month, which usually falls in February-March. The devotees have to climb 618 steps to reach the temple. The two steps near the temple are unusually tall and can be climbed only with the help of a hanging rope.
Vijayendra Temple is one of the oldest temples of Kolar district. This ancient temple is located at Bethamangala and enshrines a reclining statue of Ranganthaswamy (Lord Vishnu). The history of this temple dates back to over 5,000 years. According to legends, the hermits heard a celestial voice asking for a temple of Lord Vishnu to be built here. The temple also houses imposing statues of Sridevi and Bhudevi. Anjaneya Swamy Temple is one of the famous Hanuman temples of Kolar district. Located in Mulbagal Taluk, this temple is a stopover for the travelers to the pilgrim town of Tirupati. The temple enshrines a 10-foot high standing idol of Lord Hanuman. Built by Raja Thodarmmal, the attractive Mukhamandapa houses the shrines of Kodandarama, Keshava, Gopalakrishna and Narasimha. The eastern entrance of the temple has an complex gopuram.
Bhoganandishwara Temple was built in the 9th century in Nolamba style. Located at the foot of Nandi hills, this is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Besides Bhoganandishwara, the temple also enshrines Umamaheshwara and Arunachaleshwara. This is one of the temples of Kolar district that reflects the Vijayanagara style of architecture. Some more temples of Kolar district include Kolaramma Temple, Yoga Nandishvara Temple, Chikballapur Channakesava Temple, Kotilingeshwara Temple, Gudibanda Cave Temple and Sri Lakshmi Adinarayanaswamy Temple.
