The ancient Sri Kalameshwara Swamy Temple is located in Balambidu village of Hanagal Taluk in Haveri District of Karnataka State. Inscriptions refer to this village as ‘Bellare Bedu’.
Sri Kalameswara Swamy Temple is about 355 km from Bangalore and 32 km from Haveri city. It is 16 km from Hangal Taluk and 33 km from Haveri Nagar Railway Station.
Built in the 11th-12th AD century facing east, this temple has garbhagriha, antarala, navaranga and sabhamantap. There is a Shivalinga in the sanctum sanctorum and reliefs of Brahma, Maheshwar and Vishnu in the lintel of the antara door. There are five shrines in the Navaranga, two of which have a list of Saptamatrikeyas, one of which has sculptures of Ganapati and the other of Kartikeya. The navaranga is decorated with lustrous raktani machine-made domed pillars, balas and delicate carvings. The open hall has 16 pillars.
