Geographically located in the Hampi, the Virupaksha Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This amazing traditional temple is considered as one of the World Heritage sites of UNESCO. It was established under the empire of King Deva Raya II. Hampi city is one the embankment of Tungabhadra. It is a magnificent pilgrimage in Hampi. It is also found to be a sacred and holiest retreat. Ever since it has established, Virupaksha temple never stops to prosper. It usually attracts a huge number of tourists and visitors towards the temple during the month of December.
Let’s see the history, architecture and interesting facts about Virupaksha temple.
History of Virupaksha Temple
- The temple was built during the empire of great king Krishna devarayar during the 7th There are a variety of inscriptions about Lord shive were engraved in the 9th century. Initially, it was a little shrine, slowly it developed into a big complex during the Vijayanagara empire.
- The temple is nourished with the adorable arts, craft, statute immersed in their culture. However, these beautiful architectures were destroyed by the Muslim intruders those time.
- Nevertheless, the virupaksha temple is worshipped by many people even today.
- During the 19th century, there was the addition of some flourishing arts such as towers and ceiling paintings.
- The temple is built in dedication to Lord Shive who resides inside in the form of Virupaksha. The River Tungabhadra river flows nearby the temple and reflects its holiness. The meaning behind the temple is that Lord Shiva resides inside the temple with the mis formed eye.
- It was said that Lord Shiva was in penance. Lord Parvathi want to get him and she thought that the only way to attract his through penance, thus she also sat in penance. When Lord Shiva realized her, he was impressed and blessed her and agreed to marry her. It is also believed that the venue of their marriage is Virupaksha temple.
Virupaksha Temple Architecture
- The temple boasts little shrine, hall with a huge number of pillars, 3 antechambers. Besides, there are a few small shrines, a pillared monastery, and entrance way around the temple.
- Of all the available gateways, the eastern gateway is the greatest one here. It is about 50 meters in length and is nine-tiered. The gateway is made of brick includes gravel base and the court has different sub sanctums.
- The eastern gopuram is flourished with three storeys and northern gopuras have five storeys. The main pillared hall has a stone slab beside it that described how Krishnadevaraya king was contributed to this temple.
- The Virupakasha temple is nourished with plenty of beautiful mandapams. Tourist can see the ancient shopping center near the mandapams.
How to Reach Virupaksha Temple
Virupakasha temple can be reached easily by all the way. Visitors can take an auto/cab from Bellary to Hampi as the nearest International airport of Hambi is Bellary, which is 350 km away from the Virupakshhi temple.
If you prefer the train, you can choose Hospet as the nearest railway station as it is just about 13 km away. The Hospet is connected to all the major cities like Bangalore, Bellary etc. so, it seems to be the best option. Visitors can take a cab from Hospet to Hampi.
Tourist can take a bus from places like Bangalore, Bellary, Hospet. Tourists can avail a cab as well.
Some Interesting facts about Virupaksha temple
1. Some renovations were undertaken after the period of Muslim intruders since most of the architectures including pillars were severely destroyed by Muslim rulers.
2. There is a gorgeous mantapa hall in front of the sanctum, which was built along with the gorgeous murals and Bas Relief panels in Vijayanagar style. There is some statue often avatars of Lord Shiva and some other statue.
3. The Gopura is about 165 feet tall, 120 feet in depth, 150 feet in breadth. It is considered as one of the tallest gopuras in south India.
4. Besides, there are two-medium sized gopuras in this complex. One is Northen Gopura, which is constructed with five tiers while another one is in the inner east side, which is constructed with three tiers.
5. The most important and adorable sub shrines are Bhuvaneswari and Goddess Pampa. The shrines are much older than the rest of the gateways around the temple. The doorways and short circular pillars are richly carved.
6. It was founded as a few separate humble shrines during the 7th Over the centuries, it was expanded into the main complex along with pillared hills, lamp post, towered gateways, sub-shrines, towered gateways, large temple kitchen and much more.
Things to Do
There are a lot of things to do in Hampi besides visiting this ancient temple. You can reach the temple main entrance through Hampi Bazaar. Just head to the main entrance and take a walk. shooting fresh photos and selfies are great jobs at this temple. You can stand behind the astonishing statues and take selfies.
If you hire an auto from Hospet, it would cost you Rs, 1500-/ to travel and visit all the nearby temples like lotus garden, vitala temple and lots more. This way, the tourist can enjoy a trip economically.
Fees
The entry to the temple is free but if you want to contribute your part to the religious poojas, you can donate some money without hassle. The temple can be easily reached from the Hospet. The adorable architecture along with the mesmerizing history of Krishna devarayar empire makes the temple one of the top tourist destination in Hampi. If you visit Hampi, you can also reach other temples nearby.
Virupakshi temple is believed to functioning ever since 7th century AD. It is one of the oldest temples in India. It attracts a number of tourists and visitors every year especially during the month of December. This traditional temple should be visited at least once in your lifetime.
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