Virupaksha Temple: The Oldest Functioning temple of India

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple carries around some legends along with the city of Hampi. Several worshippers put their faith and belief here because of how the Virupaksha temple has survived over the years and prospered day by day, prospering the city of Hampi.

Virupaksha Temple of Hampi; Image source: Wikimedia

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple carries around some legends along with the city of Hampi. Several worshippers put their faith and belief here because of how the Virupaksha Temple has survived over the years and prospered day by day, prospering the city of Hampi.

Virupaksha temple is located on the southern bank of the sacred Tungabhadra River in Hampi, in the Vijayanagar district (in earlier days, Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire). The temple is considered the main centre of pilgrimage in Hampi, making the city a sacred land. It is believed that the temple has been functioning since the seventh century making it the oldest functioning temple in the country. Being the oldest functioning temple, this temple is an equal sort for its worshippers as well as tourists.

The Virupaksha temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva who is known and worshipped by the name of Virupaksha or Pampa Pathi (companion of the local goddess of Hampi - Pampadevi) in the city of Hampi.

Virupaksha Swamy (Lord Shiva) is the main deity of the Virupaksha temple, as one enters the premise of the temple, two four-armed guardians stand there to protect the temple. On the opposite of Virupaksha Swamy sits Nandideva. On the Southern area of the temple premise resides Lord Ganesha. On the northern side of the shrine resides a shrine of his consort Pampadevi. The pair of Pampadevi and Virupaksha Swamy has great significance in the city and a lot of marriages take place in the temple to seek direct blessings of Pampadevi and Virupaksha Swamy. There is a legend that talks about the beautiful marriage of Pampadevi and Virupaksha Swamy. According to the legend, Pampadevi (daughter of Lord Bharma) observed penance to marry Lord Shiva. Impressed by her, Lord Shiva married her. Thus, the place became known as Pampapathi.

There is a misconception amongst the people about who constructed the temple. While, most people think that it was Krishnadevaraya who built this pilgrimage the truth is that the Virupaksha temple was constructed during the rule of Deva Raya II by Lakkan Dandesha– the chieftain of the king. Krishnadevaraya contributed later by adding some of the temple's most ornate structures of the temple during his rule over the Vijayanagar Empire. His contributions include the main pillared hall which is considered the most beautified structure of the main temple.

The temple’s history can be traced back to the seventh century even before its establishment, from a small shrine to a well–structured temple under the rule of the Vijayanagar Empire. As time passed, several additions were made to the temple not only in the Vijayanagar period but also in the Chalukya and Hoysala periods. The temple has continued to prosper and attracts a huge crowd, especially during the annual chariot festival. This festival attracts a huge crowd and is sure to be the busiest time of the year in Hampi.

The Virupaksha Temple is constructed with various architectural styles such as Dravidian, Hoysala, and Chalukyan. The most prominent architectural style which has the most influence on the temple is the Vijayanagar architectural style, the temple is constructed with bricks and mortar.

The main temple is east facing where the principal shrine resides along with the sub-shrines of Pampadevi and Bhuwaneshwari Devi, the two consorts of Lord Shiva. Inside the temple, are two courtyards designed in a way that one leads into another. On the left of the courtyard, there is the pillared hall. Whereas, on the right is the Kalyanamantapa. Right next to the left is the triple-headed Nandi (vehicle of Lord Shiva) statue. In the middle of the court facing the main shrine are the lamp post, flag post, and a whitewashed pavilion. Outside the temple is a large open space adorned with pillared cloisters.

This majestic temple is surrounded by three gopuras (towers), out of which the eastern tower is the main tower consisting of nine stories (50 metres tall) with a cow horn-like sculpture on top. Considered the main entrance of Virupaksha temple, this tower was built in the 15th century. It showcases some of the most amazing craftsmanship on each of its floors.

One of the most unique features of this tower is that the inverted image of this tower falls just inside the temple. This tower is considered one of the most prominent landmarks of Hampi.

Being one of the largest, marvellous architectural structures of Hampi, it consists of a monastery, antechambers, and small shrines which enhances the glory of the temple even more.

The Virupaksha temple wasn’t built overnight, it took centuries to build what it is standing there tall today. At first, the temple consists of a few shrines with images of various gods and goddesses. As the years passed, more and more additions were made in signifying the glory of the temple. From flag post to Lamp post, from towered gateways to a huge temple kitchen. The Virupaksha Temple is the pride of the city of Hampi.

Surroundings of Virupaksha Temple; image source: Flickr