Dispatches

Heritage

A glimpse into the past

SUDHA MAHALINGAM Photographs by SUDHA MAHALINGAM

 

The Virupaksha temple in Hampi, Ballari district, Karnataka. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
The gopuram of the Virupaksha temple as seen from a hillock strewn with the ruins of temples. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
The Hampi ruins are spread over a vast rocky area. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
The Vittala temple complex’s richly sculpted stone chariot (ratha), considered to be the most stunning piece of architecture of the Vijayanagara kingdom.. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
The Vittala temple complex. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
The Hemakuta hill temples. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
Nobleman riding a yali, pillar detail. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
Carvings on the granite lintel of the Durbar, or Audience, Hall of the Hazara Rama temple. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
Panels in the Hazara Rama temple depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
Panels in the Hazara Rama temple depicting marching bands, dancing damsels, ambling elephants and trotting horses. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
Ruins of a sprawling market square that abuts the Virupaksha temple. The Tungabhadra can be seen in the distance meandering on its rocky riverbed. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
A stepped Pushpakarani, perfectly proportioned and made of granite, which was used for religious and ceremonial purposes. Pushkarnis were fed with the water from the nearby Tungabhadra river through a series of canals and aqueducts. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
Granite lintels, mandapas, alters and friezes near the Hazara Rama temple. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
Kadalekalu Ganesha, which is en route to the Hemakuta Hill. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
A monolithic Lakshminarasimha. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
The impressive colonnaded walkway, mostly intact, at the periphery of the market square. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
A pavilion on a rocky outcrop. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
The facade of the Hazara Rama temple. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
Hampi is an open-air museum of antiquity. It also offers something for everyone. Its stunning location and vantage perches offer Instagram-worthy images. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam
The Lotus Mahal. It is a pleasing monument that sports a syncretic architecture. Despite its aesthetic appeal, the Lotus Mahal does not seem to have had any specific royal purpose. Photo: Sudha Mahalingam