12.5 Literature · Part 2

were built in Hampi, Shringeri, Tirupati, Kalahasti, Nandi, Kolar, Srishaila, etc. New elements were introduced in the temple architecture. In addition to the main shrine, a smaller temple was built in the north-west called Amma Shrine where the Lord or main diety’s consort resided. This practice, which began in the late Chola period now became the rule. The palace of the king was the most conspicuous building in the city. Other features included the towering gateways called gopurams and are a unique feature of south Indian temples, particularly those built by the Vijayanagar rulers. The Raya Gopurams at Thiruvannanmalai and Chidambaram speak the glorious epoch of Vijayanagar. They were continued by the Nayak rulers in the later period. The finest temples of Vijayanagara are in Hampi, which has been designated as a World Heritage City. Their capital city, Vijayanagar, stood on the south bank of river Tungabhadra. After the battle of Talikota ( CE) this splendid city fell prey to the fury of the victors who wrought untold havoc and destruction. We can form a idea of the architectural achievements of the Vijayanagara rulers and the ruins of Hampi from the accounts of foreign travelers, Nicolo Conti and Abdur Razak. The important features of Vijayanagara style of temple architecture are monolithic pillars, ornate bracelets and decoration on the exterior side of the walls. Krishnadeva Raya was a great builder. He founded a town Nagalapura (near Vijayanagar), in memory of his mother, Nagamba and built tanks, gopurams and temples in various parts of empire. The most famous among these temples are the Vittalaswamy temple and Virupaksha temples. The famous Hazara temple, built during the reign of Krishnadeva Raya, is, as remarked by Longhurst, “one of the most perfect specimens of Hindu temple architecture in Raya’s court. He was the author of Panduranga Mahatyam. Krishnadeva Raya himself wrote Amuktamlayada in Telugu. It relates the story of the daughter of Periazhvar, Goda Devi (Andal). He was himself a scholar of Sanskrit as well as Telugu. Usha Parinayam and Jambavati Kalyanam are his famous Sanskrit works. Krishnadeva Raya’s reign is regarded as the classical