. The Royal Centre The royal centre was located in the south-western part of the settlement. Although designated as a royal centre, it included over temples. Clearly, the patronage of temples and cults was important for rulers who were trying to establish and legitimise their authority through association with the divinities housed in the shrines.
About thirty building complexes have been identified as palaces. These are relatively large structures that do not seem to have been associated Fig. . Part of an excavated pavement Fig.
. Shards of Chinese porcelain Fig. . A mosque in Vijayanagara What kinds of vessels do you think these shards were originally parts of?
Does the mosque have the typical features of Indo-Islamic architecture? Ü Discuss... Compare the layout of Vijayanagara with that of your town or village.