Banavasi is an ancient temple town located near Sirsi in Karnataka.

Banavasi was the ancient capital of the Kadamba dynasty that ruled all of modern-day Karnataka state.

[1] It has grown up around the Madhukeshwara Temple built in the 5th century and dedicated to Shiva[2] the supreme God in Shaivism, a major branch of Hinduism.

[3] Adikavi Pampa, the first poet of Kannada, wrote his epics in Banavasi.

The town once was the capital of the Kadamba rulers, an ancient royal dynasty of Karnataka.