Virupaksha Temple : Restoration Work
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is set to begin restoration work on the collapsed saalu mantapa or pavilion (a type of Mandapa) at the iconic Virupaksha temple aPrauda Deva Raya part of the Group of Monuments at Hampi, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Virupaksha Temple is the 7th-century Shiva temple in Hampi, Central Karnataka.
- Lord Virupaksha, also referred to as Pampapathi is the main deity in Virupaksha Temple.
- The Virupaksha Temple was built in the Vijayanagara style of architecture and was built by Lakkan Dandesha, a nayaka under the ruler Deva Raya II, also known as of the Vijayanagara Empire.
- Hampi, located in central Karnataka on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Spread over an area of nearly 4,200 hectares, the site contains over 1,600 surviving monuments, including forts, temples, palaces, and other structures.
- It was once the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, known for its historical and archaeological significance.
- The location of Hampi, amid craggy hills and the Tungabhadra River, provided a natural defensive setting for the capital city.
- Hampi’s monuments showcase the pinnacle of Vijayanagara architecture, a synthesis of the Dravidian style with Indo-Islamic influences.
