Virupaksha Temple

Virupaksha Temple is located in Hampi which sits on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the ruins of the ancient city of Vijayanagar. Virupaksha Temple is the main center of pilgrimage at Hampi and has been considered the most sacred over the centuries. It is fully intact among the surrounding ruins and is still used in worship. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, known here as Virupaksha, as the consort of the local goddess Pampa who is associated with the Tungabhadra River.

Historically this temple has an uninterrupted history from about the 7th century. The Virupaksha-Pampa sanctuary existed well before the Vijayanagara capital was located here. Inscriptions referring to Shiva date back to the 9th and 10th centuries.[1] What started as a small shrine grew into a large complex under the Vijayanagara rulers.

At present, the main temple consists of a sanctum, three ante chambers, a pillared hall and an open pillared hall. A pillared cloister, entrance gateways, courtyards, smaller shrines and other structures surround the temple.

Inside the Virupaksha temple in Hampi (the same elephant) the monkeys were at peace, sitting in a corner eating coconut. Then these two sinks appeared there and began to harass the animals, throwing rubbish and trying to hit them with some wands. I, anticipating the scene that was coming, I was just waiting to take the picture. Notice the monkey was quite angry and playing up to the children who ran it like crazy.