. Art and Architecture The Vijayanagar rulers were great builders. During this period, palaces, temples, huge halls (mahamantapa), forts, towers, public buildings, dams, tanks and canals were constructed. South Indian art and architecture attained a new fullness.
The Vijayanagar rulers produced a new style of architecture called as Dravida style. The chief characteristics of the Vijayanagara architecture were the construction of tall Raya Gopurams or gateways and the Kalyanamandapam. The sculptures on the pillars were carved with distinctive features. The horse was the most common animal to be depicted on the pillars.
Large mandapams contain one hundred pillars as well as one thousand pillars in some big temples. Fine examples of kalyana mandapa can be seen at Vellore as also in the Varadharajaswami and Ekamparanatha temples The Ashtadiggajas (Eight renowned poets) Allasani Peddanna, Nandi Thimmana, Tenali Rama, Dhurjathy, Bhattu Murthy, Puna Vira Bhadra, Mallana and Panaji Surana. XI History - Lesson - - Bahmani and Vijayanagar Kingdoms existence”. The Vittalaswamy temple is also a fine example of Vijayanagar style.
In the opinion of Fergusson, it “shows the extreme limit in florid magnificence to which the style advanced”. The Vittalswamy temple with its saptaswara musical pillars and the Stone Chariot are a few architectural wonders. Paintings at the Virabhadra temple and Lepakshi temple show the excellence of Vijayanagar painters. The Vijayanagar rulers inscribed the stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata on the walls of the various temples.
The Vijayanagar kings patronized fine arts like music, dance, drama and yakshagana. Artists enjoyed great respect in the palace and temples. The life size portrait statues of the Narasimha and of Krishnadevaraya and his two queens are fine examples of Vijayanagara art. Painting as an art found its expression on the walls of the temples of the Vijayanagar Empire.
The wall paintings such as Dasavathara and Girijakalyanam in the Virupaksha temple are beautiful specimens of art.