Chennakeshava Temple is Belur's reason for existing on most travel maps. Dedicated to Vishnu as Keshava, it stands on a raised platform and is covered with some of the most intricate sculpture in South India. The stone is soapstone, soft enough for astonishing detail when carved and hardening over time.
Do not rush the exterior friezes. Walk around slowly and look for elephants, horsemen, dancers, deities, scenes from the epics, and the famous bracket figures under the eaves. Inside, the lathe-turned pillars and dark sanctum remind you that this is still an active temple, not a frozen museum.