Virupaksha Temple

Amongst the huge boulders and the crumbling ruins of ancient structures at Hampi rises a single tower which seems almost unscathed. This is the gopuram (tower) of the Virupaksha temple. Virupaksha was the patron deity of the Vijayanagara rulers, and it is perhaps fitting that this is among the few temples where prayers have continued, uninterrupted by the centuries. According to the ASI guidebook, the tower and the temple date back to the early 15th century, but repairs and extensions were carried out in 1510, during the reign of Krishnadevaraya. It is said that the Lord was meditating atop the Hemakuta Hill nearby, and Parvati, or Pampa Devi as she was then called, lived on the opposite bank, meditating to win over her Lord. Shiva eventually obliged, and married her here, and the temple was built to celebrate their union. Local couples still come here to marry, believing that the Lord and his consort will bless their marriage, and they too, will live in everlasting harmony like the divine couple. The temple’s main shrine is dedicated to Lord Virupaksha, along with shrines to Pampa Devi, and Bhuvaneshwari―another form of the goddess. The pillared halls have beautiful sculptures and a few murals which have survived the centuries. Near the main entrance gate is a sculpture of Nandi with three heads, an unusual form, seen nowhere else. However, the most interesting thing in the temple is in the shrine to Sage Vidyaranya, the advisor of Krishnadevaraya, and the one responsible for Hampi being built as the capital of the empire. Near his shrine, is a small hole, showing the remarkable effect of a pinhole camera, through which the temple spire is seen, in an inverted form! Also interesting is an underground shrine to Lord Shiva as Pataleshwara―the Lord of the netherworld!