The Sri Channakeshara Temple stands at the edge of the tranquil village of Somnathpur, 33 km east of Mysore. Built around 1260 AD during the heyday of the Hoysala kings, it's an extremely beautiful and unspoilt building, although not as large as the other Hoysala temples.The walls of the star-shaped temple are literally covered with superb sculptures in stone depicting various scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita and the life and times of the Hoysala kings. No two frieze are like - the carved frieze which goes around the temple has six strips, starting with elephants at the bottom, followed by horses, a floral strip, scenes, crocodiles or lion and finally geese.