---
title: "Keshava Temple, Somanathapura: Hoysala Art | Model Diplomat"
description: "The Keshava Temple, Somanathapura is a 1268 CE Hoysala trikuta temple in Karnataka and a 2023 UNESCO World Heritage Site—a key UPSC GS1 art-and-culture topic."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/keshava-temple-somanathapura"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Keshava Temple at Somanathapura is a 13th-century Hoysala Vaishnava temple in Karnataka, inscribed in 2023 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Why is the Keshava Temple, Somanathapura important for the UPSC examination?
- What does 'trikuta' mean in the context of this temple?
- How does Hoysala architecture differ from Nagara and Dravida styles?
- When was the temple built and who commissioned it?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In September 2023, UNESCO inscribed the Keshava Temple at Somanathapura, together with the Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebidu, as the serial World Heritage Site "Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas."

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