Hampi - ruins of the Vijayanagar dynasty (09)

The Pattabhirama temple is a huge complex, & perhaps the largest among all in Hampi. When we entered the temple complex, the other temple which came to my mind in terms of its mammoth complex is that of Brihadeeshwara temple at Tanjore, built by the Cholas. Similar to other temples in Hampi, the Pattabhirama temple was also a nodal point of the township called Varadadevi Ammana Pette. Varadadevi was the queen of the Tuluva dynasty king Achyuta Raya. Unlike other major temples of Hampi, visitors hardly visit this magnificent temple. This is because it is not located in the town of Hampi, but on the outskirts of it. Most of the guides barely mention about the temple, & only the ones who are real enthusiasts and truly interested take that extra effort to this "must visit" temple. We met Sreedhar, the caretaker of the temple complex who is employed with the Archaeology department. He said, had the Deity, Lord Pattabhirama, not been destroyed in the aftermath of Talikota, it could well have been one of the most famous pilgrimage centers in the South. We could not appreciate his words until we experienced the massive temple complex ourselves.

The massive sanctum sanctorum where Lord Pattabhirama was worshipped...

 

Together with the Virupaksha and Vitthala temples, the Pattabhirama temple forms the third of the large temple complexes of Hampi and embodies the prolific temple-building ventures of the Vijayanagara rulers. The presiding deity of the Pattabhirama temple is Lord Rama. The splendid architecture of the temple can be appreciated as we enter the complex. The temple complex is confined within a large rectangular enclosure. The sanctum sanctorum with its axial mantapas is situated at the center of the courtyard. A pillared colonnade runs along the inside of the wall round the courtyard.