Unique And Breathtakingly Beautiful

The Virupaksha temple in Hampi, Karnataka is a very ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and is being worshipped by devotees since centuries. Read on…

- Srikanth K

The Virupaksha Temple (also called as Pampapathi temple) is a sacred temple of Lord Shiva, located in a town called Hampi, in Bellary District of the State of Karnataka in India. Hampi is located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River and is at about 350 km from Bangalore City, the Capital of Karnataka. The Virupaksha temple is one of the several amazing monuments at Hampi. This temple has been designated as one of the Group of Monuments considered as a ‘World Heritage Site’ by UNESCO. Virupaksha is a form of Lord Shiva and is being worshipped by devotees uninterruptedly in this temple, since the 7th Century CE! Hampi was once the capital of the Kings of the Vijayanagara Empire, between the periods of 14th – 16th century CE. The Virupaksha temple was built by a chieftain called Lakkana Dandesha, when King Deva Raya II was the ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire. The Virupaksha temple is considered the most sacred temple in Hampi and is being revered by devotees since hundreds of years. Although Hampi is in ruins today, the Virupaksha temple is the only structure that lies intact, surviving the ravages of time. It is believed that the Virupaksha temple was a small shrine in the 7th century CE and was later expanded with significant contributions by various Dynasties, like the Chalukyas, Hoysalas and the Kings of the Vijayanagar Empire. In the 14th Century CE, this temple was at the peak of Glory, due to the lavish contribution of the Vijayanagara Kings. Sri Krishnadevaraya, one of the very famous Kings of the Vijayanagara Empire, was a gr