Q7
‘The Virupaksha Temple developed as a significant architectural, religious and cultural center.’ Explain the statement with suitable examples.
Solution
The Virupaksha temple is believed to have been built over centuries. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the guardian deity. –
1. The earliest shrine that dated to the ninth to tenth centuries, was substantially enlarged with the establishment of the Vijayanagara Empire.
2. The hall in front of the main shrine was built by Krishnadeva Raya to mark his accession. 3 This was decorated with delicately carved pillars.
3. The halls in the temple were used for a variety of purposes. Some were spaces in which the images of gods were placed to witness special programmes of music, dance, drama, etc. . Others were used to celebrate the marriages of deities, and yet others were meant for the deities to swing in.
4. From the point of view of the rulers, constructing, repairing and maintaining temples were important means of winning support and recognition for their power, wealth and piety.
5. The temple also functioned as a center for learning. The rulers and others often granted land and other resources for the maintenance of temples.
6. Structures of immense scale that must have been a mark of imperial authority, were best exemplified by the raya gopurams or royal gateways that often dwarfed the towers on the central shrines, and signaled the presence of the temple from a great distance. Other distinctive features include mandsaur pavilions and long, pillared corridors.
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