The main temple in the center is on a high star-shaped platform with three symmetrical sanctums (garbha-griha), set in a square matrix (89' x 89') oriented along the east–west and north–south axes.

[8][9] Somanatha created an Agrahara, that is granted land to Brahmins and dedicated resources to build and maintain temples therein.

[8][9] According to the inscriptions and textual evidence, Somanatha additionally built the Purahara, Narasimhesvara, Murahara, Lakshminarasimha and Yoganarayana temples in Hoysala style in the region, but all these temples except the Lakshminarasimha have disappeared, after wars between the Hindu kingdoms and Muslim Sultanates ravaged the region.

[12] The repairs are evidenced by the different color of stones and quality of work in the veranda and parts of the northern tower and platform of the main temple.

The first attack was by Malik Kafur, Alauddin Khilji's general in 1311 and in 1326 Muhammad Bin Tughlaq destroyed the remaining structures.

[14] A few of the significant historical dates and circumstances around the Kesava temple is inscribed in eight stones in different parts of South India.

[15] The temple has numerous small inscriptions which are either logo of the mason guilds or the name of the artist who carved the block, pillar or artwork.

[18][19] The Keshava temple at Somanathapura faces east and is enclosed in a walled courtyard with a major gate (mahadvara).

[4][20] The temple is carved from soapstone, a green-grey chloritic schist material that is soft in quarry but hardens when exposed to air.

It is the pradakshina patha (circumambulation path), and is supposed to be walked in a clockwise manner in order to pictorially read the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana legends in the correct sequence.

From the jagati level, there are four stone steps that leads the devotee into the temple's sabha mandapa inside.

[6][12] The outer wall of the main temple consists of parallel horizontal bands of artwork carved above the circumambulatory platform.

The lowest band in the basement section is about 6 inches tall and shows a row of elephants mostly marching to the left in the clockwise direction the devotee is expected to walk.

A few shown at the Kesava temple include:[28][note 2] The rest of the Ramayana is not depicted, and the Bhagavata Purana starts thereafter.

For example, of the panels when counted clockwise from entrance, #12 is of Saura, #23 is of Durga in her Mahishasuramardini form, #25 to #28 are of Shaiva tradition.

[30] The reliefs showing common life of the people include festive scenes, dancers in various mudras, musicians with 13th century musical instruments, couples in courtship and sexual scenes, mothers nurturing babies, hunters and other professionals with pets such as dogs, soldiers, yogi, rishi, individuals in namaste posture, couples praying and others.

These reliefs also include numerous friezes showing the story of Prahlada, Hiranyakashipu and Vishnu avatar Narasimha.

[31][32] In the case of the three towers, above the peacock band of carvings is a row of larger size deity reliefs that wraps around the temple.

[33] There are about 90 reliefs showing mostly Vishnu with Lakshmi, as well as Shakti, Shiva, Brahma, Saraswati, Indra, Indrani, Kama, Rati, and others.

[36] The tower itself combines intricate artwork, in a plan that alternates rotating squares with star-shaped 16 petalled lotuses.

Their plan uses lotus with an oblong projection, four sets of ornamental turrets, rhythmically reducing in height and are capped by a stone kalasa.

The carvings on the tower include dancers, gandharvas, yakshas, kirtimukhas, lion faces and mythical animals such as makaras.

[38] Inside the door is the Navaranga with the usual nine squares suggested by ancient Hindu texts on temple design.

[6][38] According to Krishna, the layout of three doorways inside and two niches whose images are now missing suggests that the interior of this temple was designed per Panchayatana puja architecture found in Smarta Hindu tradition.

All of them, except four in center, have five mouldings from common life themes stacked in sequence: disc, bell, pot, wheel and umbrella.

Among them is a palm leaves theme, different stages of lotus opening, endless knot symbolizing karma and samsara, one with 'dancers, musicians, soldiers with standing Vishnu and Shiva in various forms', rafters in Sri Chakra tantric layout and others.

These decorations could include multi-petalled lotuses, banana bud motifs based on stepped ponds and snake like (ananta) knots (symbolising eternity).

A 13th century Lakshminarayana carving is shown seated in the Sukhasana yoga pose, with him are chakra, conch, lotus and a gada (mace).

His fingers are in a tapping position, and all beings - from humans to cows, gods to goddesses inside the sanctum are depicted as absorbed in the divine music.

[40] On the fringe of the image's torana (arch above) are carved the ten avatars of Vishnu in sequence: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Balarama, Buddha and Kalki.