Vithala Temple

The Vithala Temple and market complex is over 3 kilometres north-east of the Virupaksha temple near the banks of the Tungabhadra River. It is an artistically sophisticated Hindu temple in Hampi, and is part of the sacred centre of Vijayanagara. It was made during the reign of Krishnadevaraya, Achuytaraya, and probably Sadasivaraya and it stopped due to the destruction of the city in 1565. The temple was dedicated to Vithala, a form of Krishna also called Vithoba. The temple opens to the east, has a square plan and features an entrance gopuram with two side gopurams. The main temple stands in the middle of a paved courtyard and several subsidiary shrines, all aligned to the east. The temple is a unified structure in a courtyard measuring 500 by 300 feet which is surrounded by a triple row of pillars. It is a low structure of one storey with an average height of 25 feet. The temple has three distinct compartments: a garbhagriha, an ardhamandapa and a mahamandapa (or sabha mandapa).

Garuda Stone Chariot

The Vitthala temple has a Garuda Stone Chariot in the form of a stone chariot in the courtyard; it is an often-pictured symbol of Hampi. Above the chariot there was a tower, which was removed during 1940s. In the front of the stone chariot is a large, square, open-pillared, axial sabha mandapa, or community hall. The mandapa has four sections, two of which are aligned with the temple sanctum. The mandapa has 56 carved stone beams of different diameters, shape, length and surface finish that produces musical sounds when struck; according to local traditional belief, this hall was used for public celebrations of music and dancing. It is classified as Karakkoil, a temple fashioned after temple chariots which are taken in procession around the temple during festivals.

The mandapa links to an enclosed pradakshina patha for walking around the sanctum. Around this axial mandapa are; the Garuda shrine, the Kalyana mandapa for wedding ceremonies, the 100-columned mandapa, the Amman shrine and the Utsav mandapa or festival hall. The walled enclosure covers about 3.2 acres with colonnaded verandahs lining the compound walls. In the south-east corner is a kitchen with a roof window.