Harihara ([harihəra] also called Harihar[2]) is a city in Davanagere District in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Harihara Taluk. Harihara is famous for Harihareshwara temple.
Harihara is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, 275 kilometres north of Bengaluru. Harihar and Davangere (14 km away) are referred as "twin cities". Harihar is connected by road and railway, and is located on National Highway 48 (Mumbai – Bengaluru). It has a very pleasant climate year round. The major lifeline of this city is the Tungabhadra river, which is being exploited and polluted as a result of heavy industrialization.[citation needed]
Harihara (or Hari-hara) is a syncretic deity in Hinduism, combining the two major gods Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara). The region of Harihara had been under the control of the Hoysalas from the 11th to 13th centuries AD.
There is a famous temple built in the 12th century during Hoysala's time called Harihareshwara temple.[citation needed]
The god Harihareshwara is a combination of the gods Shiva and Vishnu. There is a story behind the avatar of this god. In ancient days this place was known as "Guharanya", a dense jungle and habitat of a demon Guhasura. He had a gift that no human or Rakshasa or god can kill him. And he started harassing people around this place. Then Vishnu and Shiva came together in a new avatara called Hari – Hara (Harihara) – and killed demon Guhasura.[citation needed]
Harihar serves as a major industrial base also. It was served by the Kirloskar industry and at present Aditya Birla Group's Grasim Industries, Synthite, Shamanur Sugar's, Cargill and more. Kirloskar Engineering company has closed down in 2001, resulting in a loss of nearly 15,000 jobs.