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Temples in Karnataka
Virupaksha Temple is located at Hampi near Hospet; it is dedicated to Virupaksha deity. This temple bears the stamp of the Vijayanagar architecture and it stands as a shrine of reverence in Hampi.
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Although of earlier origin, it received considerable benefaction from Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagar Empire. It commands a 160 foot high gopuram from the 16th century. This temple devoted to Shiva has numerous mandapams and murals. Some of the shrines in this temple go back to the 12th century.
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The temple boast three towers, the eastern tower rises to a height of 160 feet and
flaunts nine tires. The temple architecture dates back to the first half of the 15th Century.The presiding deity here is Virupaksheshwara or Pampapathi. His companion Pampa, is said to be the daughter of Bhrama. There is an elaborate shrine to Bhuvaneswari.
Numerous of Shiva's manifestations, and the ten incarnations of Vishnu are portrayed here, as is the characteristic scene from Mahabharata depicting Arjuna's shooting the fish device in order to seek Draupadi's hand in marriage.In the neighborhood of the Virupaksha temple are numerous dilapidated mandapams. In front of the temple was once a prehistoric shopping center lined with mandapams, the ruins of which stand today.
The chariot festival in the month of February is the leader annual festival celebrated here. The heavenly marriage between Virupaksheshwara and Pampa is celebrated in the month of December.
Gopuram: The Gateway To The Temple
The lofty eastern gopuram gives access to the outer court, while a smaller inner east gopuram leads to the inner court containing the main 'vimana' with its numerous subsidiary shrines. From the account left by Paes, who visited Vijayanagara in AD 1520, it may be inferred that the temple complex has assumed its present form even by about the time of his visit. The temple faces east and overlooks the long and broad Hampi Bazaar with the dilapidated remains of many ancient 'mandapas' and two-storeyed stone buildings on either side.
The lofty east 'gopuram', the main entrance to the temple, is well-proportioned nine-storeyed structure 52 metres high with the usual two-tiered stone base and a superstructure in brick. In the gopuram-chamber are a few early-type heavy square pillars with bands of scroll decoration at the base and flat carved slabs in place of the corbels. From literary evidences it may be inferred that Proluganti Tippa, an officer of Deva Raya II (AD 1422-46), probably built the 'gopuram'. Krishnadeva Raya later repaired it in AD 1510.
From the east gopuram one enters the large outer court containing many sub-shrines and a large number of 'mandapas' including what are termed the 'phalapuja mandapas'. The so-called old 'phalapuja mandapa' at the southwest corner of the court is in Vijayanagara style with composite pillars, while the new 'phalapuja mandapa' at the northwest, although so named, has earlier styles of pillars.
An interesting feature is that a narrow channel of the Tungabhadra flows along the terrace of the temple then descends to the temple-kitchen and finally flows through the outer court.
The small three-storeyed inner east 'gopuram', named after Krishnadeva Raya forms the entrance to the inner court. It was built by Krishnadeva Raya about AD 1510. The inner court has a pillared cloister along the four sides, with a number of subshrines, while the main sanctum of Virupaksha with its axial 'mandapa' is situated in the central part of the court and faces east.
The Virupaksha or the Pampapathi temple is the main center of pilgrimage at Hampi. It is fully intact, and it incorporates some earlier structures. This temple has three towers, the eastern tower rises to a height of 160 feet and is nine tiered. It dates back to the first half of the fifteenth century and was renovated in the sixteenth century by Krishnadevaraya.
Southindiatourtravel.com provides information about Virupaksha Temple Hampi and different temples in Karnataka.
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