[1] Major additions or modifications were made during the late Vijayanagara Empire period under the rule of Hiriya Kempe Gowda II.

The vahanas ("vehicles") at the temple include the bull, adhikaranandi, elephant, mouse, peacock, goat and snake, while a silver chariot is a recent addition.

The local deity Someshwara appeared to him in a dream and instructed him to build a temple in his honor using buried treasure.

[4] According to another version of the legend, King Jayappa Gowda (1420-1450 CE) from a minor dynasty of the Yelahanka Nada Prabhus was hunting in a forest near the present Halasuru area, when he felt tired and relaxed under a tree.

In a dream, a man appeared before him and told him that a linga (universal symbol of the god Shiva) was buried under the spot where he was sleeping.

Another account attributes the temple to the Chola Dynasty with later renovations made by the Yelahanka Nada Prabhus.

The piers leading to the sanctum and those facing outward from the open mantapa are the standard Yali (mythical beast) pillars.

Other notable works of art include sculptures that depict King Ravana lifting Mount Kailash in a bid to appease the god Shiva, Durga slaying Mahishasura (a demon), images of the Nayanmar saints (Tamil Shaivaite saints), depictions of the Girija Kalyana (marriage of Parvati to the god Shiva), the saptarishis (seven sages of Hindu lore).