Temple Description

The Virupaksha Temple, located in Hampi within Karnataka’s Vijayanagara district and situated along the Tungabhadra River, is a distinguished 7th-century shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. It forms part of the Group of Monuments at Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Originally built by Lakkan Dandesha, a chieftain under the Vijayanagara ruler Deva Raya II (also known as Prauda Deva Raya), the temple is dedicated to Sri Virupaksha and has long been a central pilgrimage site in Hampi.

Hampi, which served as the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, is renowned for its historical significance and its location on the Tungabhadra River, historically called Pampa hole or Pampa river. The Virupaksha Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva as Virupaksha or Pampa pathi, is venerated as the consort of the local goddess Pampadevi, associated with the river. Additionally, there is a related Virupakshini Amma temple located in Nalagamapalle village in Andhra Pradesh, around 100 km from Tirupati.

The temple’s history extends back to around the 7th century CE. Although the Virupaksha-Pampa sanctuary predates the Vijayanagara capital, the temple complex expanded significantly under the Vijayanagara rulers. It incorporates elements from the late Chalukyan and Hoysala periods, though the majority of the temple’s structures were constructed during the Vijayanagara era. The large temple complex was established by Lakkana Dandesha, a chieftain under Deva Raya II.The temple features ceiling paintings from the 14th and 16th centuries. Despite the destruction of the city in 1565, worship at the Virupaksha Temple continued. Major renovations and restorations took place in the early 19th century, including repairs to the towers of the north and east gopura. Today, the Virupaksha Temple remains the best-preserved and actively maintained temple in Hampi, with many other temples in the area having been destroyed by the Bahmani sultanate.