Considered to be one of India’s oldest functioning temple, Virupaksha temple is still pristine amidst the ancient ruins.

#VirupakshaTemple is located in #Hampi in the #Ballari district of #Karnataka, India. It is part of the Group of #Monuments at Hampi, designated as a #UNESCO #WorldHeritageSite. The temple is dedicated to #LordVirupaksha, a form of Shiva. The temple was built by Lakkan Dandesha, a nayaka (chieftain) under the ruler Deva Raya II also known as Prauda Deva Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire.

There really is something magical about #Hampi
Perhaps it is the surreal landscape along with bright emerald paddy fields or the amazing ruins of temples or the magical stories of myths, legends and gods and goddesses or the surrounding countryside that is almost frozen in time. Maybe it’s a combination of all these things that makes this place so special.
Tag your #friends with whom you would like to visit this mystical #land.

#BadavilingaTemple is a wonderful temple in #Hampi dedicated to #LordShiva. The Hindu deity Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Linga in this temple. #TheBadavilingaTemple is located near the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple. Tourists as well as devotees flock to the temple throughout the year.
The Badavilinga Temple in Hampi has the largest monolithic Shiva Linga in Hampi. The #ShivaLinga has a three eye mark drawn on it in line carving. The three eye mark depicts the three eyes of Lord Shiva.

The beautiful Linga is made of black stone. It has a height of 3 meters. It is believed that the temple has been in existence since the period of the Vijayanagara Empire. Devotees come here from far and near to worship the Shiva Linga.

Every corner in #Hampi is as mystical as it can get.

A different perspective of stone charriot with Gopuram at #VijayaVitthalaTemple In #Hampi

#VirupakshaTemple is the main center of pilgrimage at #Hampi, and had been considered the most sacred sanctuary over the centuries. It is intact among the surrounding ruins and is still used in worship. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, known here as #Virupaksha, as the consort of the local goddess Pampadevi who is associated with the Tungabhadra River.

#KadalekaluGanesha!

This giant statue of #LordGanesha was carved out of a huge boulder at the northeastern slope of the #HemakutaHill. The belly of this statue resembles a Bengal gram (#Kadalekalu, in local language) and hence the name.

A sanctum is built around the statue. The pillared hall in front of this sanctum is as charming as this giant statue itself. The open hall constructed by unusually slender and tall pillars. Each of them is highly ornate with mythical themes.

This 4.5 meters (15 feet) tall statue is one among the largest sculptures in Hampi. The pillared hall is a vantage point to survey the environs, especially the #HampiBazaar and the foothills of #MatangaHill.

#Hampi | #Karnataka | India

Virupaksha Temple (विरुपाक्ष मन्दिर) 🙏

#VirupakshaTemple is located in #Hampi 350 km from #Bangalore in the state of Karnataka in #SouthernIndia. It is part of the Group of Monuments at Hampi designated a #UNESCO #WorldHeritageSite. The temple is dedicated to #Virupaksha a form of Shiva. The #temple was built by Lakkana Dandesha a chieftain under the ruler Deva Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire.

The temples history is uninterrupted from about the 7th century. The Virupaksha Pampa sanctuary existed well before the Vijayanagara capital was located here. Inscriptions referring to #LordShiva date back to the 9th and 10th centuries. What started as a small shrine grew into a large complex under the Vijayanagara rulers.

This view of the 50m tall gopuram of the Virupaksha temple from the #MatangaHill is simply spectacular.

The #VirupakshaTemple has survived through the years and never ceases to prosper. It is still pristine amidst the ruins that surround it.

#Hampi | #Karnataka | India