Virupaksha Temple, Hampi

Dedicated to lord Shiva, Virupaksha Temple was founded in the 7th century and has been functional ever since; thus, making it one among the oldest functioning temples in India. The temple predates the Vijaynagar Empire and the structure was improved during the reign of various empires that ruled that region and especially during the Vijaynagar Empire. The main temple consists of a sanctum, three ante chambers, a pillared hall and an open pillared hall.

virupaksha-temple
Photo by Prateek Rungta, CC BY 2.0 

A pillared enclosure, entrance gateways, courtyards, smaller shrines and other structures surround the temple. The 50 meter tall nine tiered gateway gives access to the outer court containing many shrines. The smaller eastern gateway leads to the inner court and numerous smaller shrines. A narrow channel of the Tungabhadra River flows along the temple’s terrace and then descends to the temple-kitchen and out through the outer court.

About Rohit

An architect by profession, Rohit Agarwal is a curious traveller, seeking out the minutest detail about the places he travels to, and that’s what one will find in his writings. His writings have appeared in various blogs, he’s currently trying to bring forth as many different places a traveller who shares the same level of curiosity like him would like to visit through his writings.

Leave a Comment