The Virupaksha Temple at Hampi in Karnataka, India is a famous tourist and religious site. It is located within the ruins of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire.
The ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi.
The temple's history is uninterrupted from about the 7th century (1300 years ago!). The Virupaksha-Pampa sanctuary existed well before the Vijayanagara capital was located here.
What started as a small shrine grew into a large complex under the Vijayanagara rulers.
At present the Virupaksha Temple consists of a sanctum, three ante chambers, a pillared hall and an open pillared hall. A pillared cloister, entrance gateways, courtyards, smaller shrines and other structures surround the temple.
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.
The ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi.
The temple's history is uninterrupted from about the 7th century (1300 years ago!). The Virupaksha-Pampa sanctuary existed well before the Vijayanagara capital was located here.
What started as a small shrine grew into a large complex under the Vijayanagara rulers.
At present the Virupaksha Temple consists of a sanctum, three ante chambers, a pillared hall and an open pillared hall. A pillared cloister, entrance gateways, courtyards, smaller shrines and other structures surround the temple.
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.
