Sri Virupaksha Temple, Hampi

Karnataka , Bellary, Bengaluru

Virupaksha Temple is located in Hampi, 350 km from Bangalore, in the state of Karnataka in southern India. Hampi, capital of the Vijayanagara empire, sits on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. Virupaksha Temple is the main center of pilgrimage at Hampi, and has been considered the most sacred sanctuary over the centuries. It is intact among the surrounding ruins and is still used in worship. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, known here as Virupaksha, as the consort of the local goddess Pampa who is associated with the Tungabhadra River. The temple has an uninterrupted history from about the 7th century. The Virupaksha-Pampa sanctuary existed well before the Vijayanagara capital was located here. Inscriptions referring to Shiva date back to the 9th and 10th centuries. What started as a small shrine grew into a large complex under the Vijayanagara rulers. Evidence indicates there were additions made to the temple in the late Chalukyan and Hoysala periods, though most of the temple buildings are attributed to the Vijayanagar period. The huge temple building was built by Lakkana Dandesha, a chieftain under the ruler Deva Raya II of the Vijayanagara Empire. When the rulers were defeated by Muslim invaders in the 16th century, most of the wonderful decorative structures and creations were destroyed. At the beginning of the 19th century there were major renovations and additions done to the structure.

Architecture

The Virupaksha Temple consists of an open pillared hall and a pillared hall, three ante chambers and a sanctum. The gateway located at the east is nine tiered and is the largest among all the gateways being 50 meters in height. The stone base is two tiered and the superstructure is made of bricks. One can access the outer court containing many smaller temples from the eastern gateway. The temple has been so constructed that the river Tungabhadra flows along its terrace, descends to the temple kitchen and passes through the outer court. The central pillared hall is the most ornate structure and it is believed that this was added by the famous Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya. The hall was commissioned by the Emperor in 1510 A.D. Stone plaque inscriptions provide a detailed account of the contribution of the Emperor to the Virupaksha Temple.

Picture Courtesy : commons.wikimedia.org

Darsan Info

Temple timings : 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Darsan Dresscode

Clean and conservative clothing is preferred.

Famous Festival

The chariot festival in the month of February is the chief Annual festival celebrated here. The divine marriage between Virupaksheshwara and Pampa is celebrated in the month of December.