Virupaksha Temple

1. Virupaksha Temple Lord Shiva is one of the most revered deities across the world. There are several temples, where Lord Shiva is worshipped, both in abstract form (as shivling) and in the idol form. In the Southern part of India, there are many huge temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. One such temple is the Virupaksha Temple at Hampi. Location of the Virupaksha Temple One among the group of monuments at Hampi, the temple is dedicated to Lord Virupaksha, who is actually a form of Lord Shiva. The temple is located in the city of Hampi in the Bellary district of the state of Karnataka. The city of Hampi is located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River (also known as the Pampa River) Virupaksha Meaning

2. Virupaksha is a Kanada name which means ” The All Seeing One- Lord Shiva”. The meaning of the word ‘Virupaksha’ (Virup + aksha) is ‘Diversely Eyed’ or ‘very differently eyed’ –the one with ‘phala aksha – the jnana chakshu, the supreme conciousness’ along with the regular two eyes. Here the word ‘Virup’ doesn’t mean ‘Form less ‘ but it means ‘Diversely or very different or manifold –it is a ‘Visesha Upamana’ or ‘special parable’. -rupa – having a form -arupa – not having a form or formless -sarupa – having a good form -virupa – having a Visesha Rupa, Diverse form or very different form (taken from quora – courtesy https://www.quora.com/How-did-Lord-Shiva-get-his- name-Virupaksha-What-does-the-name-mean) Virupaksha Temple History The history of this temple goes back as old as the 7th century. Hampi was the capital city under the rule of the Vijayanagara Empire. But, the Virupaksha-Pampa sanctuary existed even before this. There are inscriptions, referring to Lord Shiva, which dates back to the 9th and 10th centuries. At that time, it was a small shrine, but under the rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire, it got developed into a large complex. The credit of building the main building goes to Lakkan Dandesha, who was a chieftain under the rule of Prauda Deva Raya, a ruler from the Vijayanagara dynasty. One of the most famous kings of this dynasty, Krishnadevaraya was a major patron of this temple. He is the one who is believed to have ordered the construction of the central pillared hall and the eastern gopura. As per inscriptions, the pillared hall was constructed to celebrate his accession. In the later years, some additions were made to the temple during the Chalukya and Hoysala periods.

3. Around the 16th century, Muslim invaders attacked Hampi and destroyed most of the wonderful decorative structures and creations here. However, the religious sect of Virupaksha-Pampa remained intact and their worship has persisted throughout these years. The beginning of the 19th century saw some major renovations and additions in the Temple. These included ceiling paintings and the towers of the north and east gopuram. Virupaksha Temple Facts Virupaksha Temple is among the oldest temple in India and the focal point of pilgrimage at Hampi. This temple is believed to be functioning without any interruption since it was built in the 7th Century. The temple is considered to be the most sacred sanctuary over the centuries. The temple is dedicated to Virupaksha, also known as Pampapati (meaning husband of Pampa), who is actually a form of Lord Shiva. His consort is believed to be a local goddess called Pampadevi, who is associated with the Tungabhadra River. Website: https://myfayth.com/hindusim/virupaksha-temple-hampi/