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.

#Kumbhalgarh Fort in #Rajasthan.
The mighty fort is 3600 ft tall and 38km long that surrounds the area of Udaipur. It was considered to have been built by Rana Kumbha in the 15th century. The fort is further declared a #UNESCO #WorldHeritageSite that is under the group #HillForts of Rajasthan. It is located strategically on the western Aravalli hills.

Having witnessed a large number of wars, the hill serves as the boundary that is unbreakable. The fort that has seven fortified gateways and a number of Jain temples within it , along with the Lakhola Tank which is the most famous tank inside the fort that was constructed by Rana Lakha. The fort consists of a number of Hindu temples and Jain temples that indicate the religious tolerance of the rulers and how they patronized the Jains and encouraged their culture in the kingdom.

#Gangaikondacholapuram in #Ariyalur, #TamilNadu is surrounded by lush green landscapes and has craftly designed sculptures. It is also a #UNESCO #WorldHeritageSite grouped under the Great Living Chola Temples. The temple’s architecture and bronze sculptures are a site to behold.

#UNESCO World Heritage site - #Gangaikonda Cholapuram