The Nageshvara Temple complex, also spelled Nagesvara and locally known as Naganatheshvara, is situated in Begur, a small town within the Bangalore urban district of Karnataka state.
The Nageshvara Swamy temple complex consists of two shrines, with the main deity, Nageshvara, consecrated by ancient Rishis. The temple was commissioned during the rule of the Western Ganga Dynasty kings, Nitimarga I (also known as Ereganga Neetimarga, r. 843–870) and Ereyappa Nitimarga II (also called Ereganga Neetimarga II, r. 907–921).
The remaining shrines in the Nageshvara temple complex are believed to be a later legacy of the Chola Dynasty, Hoysala Dynasty, and the Vijayanagara Empire, which ruled over the region. According to legend, Ravana, the villain in the Ramayana, lost his Atma Linga in Gokarna and, while returning to Sri Lanka, worshiped Nageshwara at this temple.
An Old Kannada inscription, dating back to around 890 CE, was discovered in the Nageshvara temple complex by epigraphist R. Narasimhachar. The inscription mentions a "Bengaluru war" (modern-day Bangalore city) and is recorded in Epigraphia Carnatica (Vol 10 supplementary). This inscription is the earliest known evidence of a place called Bengaluru.