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| Vithala Temple, Karnataka (India)
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 The
temple stands in a large rectangular enclosure.
The three lofty Vijayanagara gopurams on the east,
north and south sides are now dilapidated. Of these
the south 'gopuram' is the most ornate. Along the
interior of the enclosing wall ran a pillared colonnade.
The enclosed courtyard contains in the centre the
god's sanctum with its axial 'mandapa' and around
it the 'Amman' sanctum, the 'kalyana mandapa', an
'utsava mandapa', a hundred-pillared 'mandapa' and
a stone 'ratha' (car). Originally there was a lofty
'kipa-stambha' (12.2 m high) in front of the east
'gopuram', but now it lies on the ground, broken
in pieces. The main temple was dedicated to Vishnu
as Vithala. Facing east, the sanctum of the god
along with its axial 'mandapa' forms a long and
low structural group, about 7.6 metres in height
and 70 metres in length. The group comprises the
open 'maha mandapa', a closed 'ardha-mandapa' with
side-porches and a covered 'pradakshina-prakara'
enclosing the 'antarala' and 'garbha griha'.
Vithala Temple situated on the southern bank of
the Tungabhadra River. The most magnificent of the
religious edifices at Hampi, it can be reached from
the west by walking on from Hampi Bazaar along the
riverbank, or from the east through the Talarigattu
Gateway. Its reputation is well deserved both in
the variety of styles that characterize the shrines
within the temple courtyard and in the fineness
of the carvings that embellish them. The Vithala
Temple is Hampi’s crowning glory, with a magnificent
stone chariot standing in the temple courtyard.
Equally impressive is the large ranga mantapa with
56 musical pillars that resound with musical chimes
when struck. Its reputation is well deserved both
in the variety of styles that characterize the shrines
within the temple courtyard and in the fineness
of the carvings that embellish them. Style of Architecture
Hard granite has been persuaded to sway, to flow,
to rise up in columns so that the texture of the
stone itself seems to have changed and become elastic.
The main pavilion contains 56 pillars, each of which
has been carved out of a single granite block in
a rich structural unit with a cluster of slender
colonettes raised on crouching animals. When struck,
some of them produce musical notes as though from
different percussion instruments.
The large 'maha-mandapa' has symmetrically recessed
sides. It measures 30.5 metres at its greatest length
and breadth. The 'mandapa' stands on a highly ornate
'adhishthana' (1.5 metres high) with sculptured
friezes of horses and warriors and 'hamsa'. At intervals
along the base, there are ornate miniature 'vimana'
projections with figures of the 'Dasavataras' inside.
The standing figure of 'Kalki' is depicted with
a horse's head. The steps to the 'mandapa' have
an elephant-balustrade on the east but those on
the north and south have 'surul yalis'. A prominent
feature of the 'mandapa' is the huge and deep cyma-recta
cornice with a continuous frieze of bas-reliefs
of deities and other figures. Thick stone rings
are at the corners for holding stone chains, which
are no longer there. Fragments of the original decorative
parapet of brick and mortar with niches, niche-figures
and 'karna-kutas', are to be seen here and there.
The 'mandapa' contains fifty-six pillars, each 3.6
metres high, forty of which are regularly disposed
to form an aisle all round the three sides, while
the remaining sixteen form a rectangular court in
the centre. Each pillar is a massive composite sculptural
unit measuring as much as 1.5 metres across and
may be termed a monolithic sculptural group. The
types of pillars vary according to their position
in the 'mandapa'. Thus most of the pillars along
the outer edges are composite ones with a large
number of slender columnettes forming part of the
main pillar. The two pillars at the centre of each
side are of the yali type.
In the interior, most of the pillars on the south
side are of the yali type, while those on the north
contain various forms of Narasimha. Some of the
inner pillars on the east contain figures of women,
dancers and drummers. The pillars have heavy 'pushpa-podigai'
corbels. The ceiling of the 'mandapa' is divided
into sections and carved beautifully with lotus-motifs.
Many sections have flat multi-petalled lotus carvings.
Those on the north and south are shaped like shallow
domes with lotus-petals and bud. Mandapa A large
rectangular ceiling on the east front has a high
dome with a pendant lotus built in the middle with
sculptured parrots pecking at it. The central court
is now roofless. One of its huge roof-slabs, with
part of its lotus motif, stands in site, while another
lies broken on the ground. Remnants of painted work
are seen here and there in the ceiling on the south
side of the 'mandapa'. The five-aisled 'ardha-mandapa'
is dilapidated and open to the skies. In one corner
of the 'mandapa' is a large but broken granite figure
of a 'dvarapala', nearly 2.7 metres high. It is
a fine specimen of Vijayanagara sculpture.
The 'ardha mandapa' leads to a covered 'pradakshina-prakara'
running round the 'garbha-griha' and the 'antarala'.
The 'tritala vimana' of the sanctum is well finished
in an ornate style. The wall of the shrine has ornate
'deva-koshthas', large and well-proportioned 'kumbha
panjaras' in bold relief and early curved cornice
with fine Vijayanagara kudus along with some earlier
type kudus also. A frieze of 'bhuta ganas' is above
the 'deva-koshthas'. The brick superstructure of
the 'vimana' with its domical 'sikhara' is now much
dilapidated. The 'garbha-griha' is now empty except
for two 'pithas'. The Amman sanctum has an 'antarala',
a closed 'ardha-mandapa' and 'maha-mandapa'. The
'ardha-mandapa' has a sub shrine on the north, facing
south. The 'garbha-griha' has no superstructure
extant. Its exterior is rather plain. The 'kalyana-mandapa'
of the temple to the south east of the courtyard,
is particularly find and almost surpasses the 'maha-mandapa'.
It is also an open-pillared 'mandapa', symmetrically
planned with deeply recessed sides and is in many
ways similar to the 'maha-mandapa'. It has the usual
arrangement of various types of composite pillars,
balustrades, etc. and beautifully carved and highly
ornate ceilings. This 'mandapa' contains vestiges
of original Vijayanagara paintings.The 'utsava-mandapa'
to the north-east of the courtyard is similar to
the 'kalyana-mandapa' in its general style. Abutting
the southern wall of the courtyard is a hundred-
pillared 'mandapa' with three inscriptions in three
different languages stating that it was built by
Krishnadeva Raya in AD 1516. The 'mandapa' is rather
plain.
The existence of the temple may be traced at least
to the time of Devaraya II (AD 1422-46). Though
the general opinion is that the temple was neither
finished nor consecrated, epigraphic and literary
evidences show that it remained in worship at least
till the time of the battle of 'Rakshasi tangdi'.
The Vithala temple portrays the high watermark of
perfection of the Vijayanagara style, and one may
well say that there is no other building, which
could stand comparison with it in florid magnificence. |
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