Vision Academy EducareVision Academy Educare
Question 6 of 8 · Vijayanagara & Bahmani Kingdoms
Questioneasy
This question was previously asked in

SSC

The Virupaksha Temple at Hampi is dedicated to:

Answer View answer ▾

Answer: Option C — Lord Shiva

Detailed Solution

The Virupaksha Temple at Hampi, Karnataka, is dedicated to Lord Shiva, worshipped there as "Virupaksha" (also called "Pampapati", the consort of the local river goddess Pampa).

About the Virupaksha Temple:

  • It is located on the south bank of the Tungabhadra river, in the Vijayanagara (Hampi) area of the Vijayanagara district (earlier Bellary district), Karnataka.
  • It is one of the oldest functioning temples in India; worship has continued here without break since about the 7th century CE.
  • A small shrine existed here before the Vijayanagara Empire, during the Chalukya and Hoysala periods.
  • It was greatly expanded under the Vijayanagara Empire (1336-1646), especially by the emperor Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1529), who added a pillared hall and a gateway in 1510 to celebrate his coronation.
  • Its main eastern gateway tower is about 50 metres (160 feet) high.
  • A pinhole camera effect causes an inverted image of the gateway tower to appear on a wall inside the temple.
  • The temple's annual chariot festival is held in February, and the marriage festival of Virupaksha and Pampa is celebrated in December.
  • The temple elephant and the "Hampi Utsav" (Vijaya Utsav) attract many visitors.

About Hampi:

  • It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, founded in 1336 by Harihara and Bukka of the Sangama dynasty.
  • The empire reached its height under Krishnadeva Raya.
  • The city was destroyed after the Battle of Talikota (also called Rakshasa-Tangadi) in 1565, when the Deccan Sultanates defeated Vijayanagara.
  • The "Group of Monuments at Hampi" was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.

Other famous monuments at Hampi:

  • Vittala Temple: dedicated to Vishnu (Vittala); famous for its stone chariot (shown on the 50-rupee note of 2018).
  • Lotus Mahal, Elephant Stables, Hazara Rama Temple, Queen's Bath, Mahanavami Dibba, and the giant monolithic Lakshmi Narasimha statue.
  • Matanga Hill and Hemakuta Hill.
  • Anjanadri Hill (near Hampi) is believed by many to be the birthplace of Hanuman.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Lord Vishnu is worshipped at the Vittala Temple in Hampi.
  • ✗Goddess Parvati is worshipped as Pampa, consort of Virupaksha, but the temple's main deity is Shiva.
  • ✗Lord Hanuman is associated with Anjanadri Hill nearby.

Quick tip

Remember: Virupaksha Temple, Hampi = Lord Shiva (Virupaksha/Pampapati; on the Tungabhadra; expanded by Krishnadeva Raya in 1510); Vittala Temple = Vishnu (stone chariot, musical pillars); Hampi = UNESCO 1986; Talikota = 1565.

💬 Discussions on this question

Ask a doubt ›

Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.

Ask a doubt

More Vijayanagara & Bahmani Kingdoms Questions

View all ›
  1. Q1.The Vijayanagara kingdom was established by Harihara and Bukka in:
  2. Q2.Which Vijayanagara ruler married his daughter to the Bahmani Sultan Firuz Shah?
  3. Q3.In 1520, the Vijayanagara ruler Krishnadeva Raya defeated the Sultan of Bijapur in the Battle of:
  4. Q4.Fernão Nuniz, who wrote about the Vijayanagara Empire and its nayaka system, was a:
  5. Q5.After the Battle of Talikota, which place became the last capital of the Vijayanagara kings?

More General Knowledge Questions

  1. Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
  2. Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
  3. Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
  4. Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
  5. Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms

Vijayanagara & Bahmani Kingdoms — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Vijayanagara & Bahmani Kingdoms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the Vijayanagara Empire, founded by Harihara and Bukka in 1336, and the Bahmani Sultanate, founded by Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah in 1347, along with the Deccan sultanates that followed. It includes their rulers, administration, architecture and the accounts of foreign travellers. The most tested ruler is Krishnadevaraya of the Tuluva dynasty, a patron of Telugu literature and author of Amuktamalyada. Other common questions cover the Battle of Talikota (1565), the Vijayanagara capital Hampi, and the foreign travellers who visited, such as Nicolo Conti, Abdur Razzaq and Domingo Paes. Practise the Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

‹ All Vijayanagara & Bahmani Kingdoms questionsBrowse all topics ›