Moola Virupaksha Temple
According to some historic accounts, the Virupaksha Temple in Hampi is one among the ancient temples in India with an uninterrupted history from about the 7th century. What you see now as the grandiose temple complex is attributed to various vijayanagara kings from 14th Century.
T
he Moola Virupaksha temple, that exists on the slopes of the Hemakuta Hills predates the Virupaksha Temple. In fact the name itself (moola means origin or base) suggests of its antiquity.Visit this shrine as part of your Hemakuta Hill tour. Atop this hill you'll find many temples that predate the Vijayanagara period. Moola Virupaksha is towards the northern side of the slope that overlooks the Virupaksha Temple complex. You can get to the Hemakuta hill either by the side of that large open shrine of Ganesha (Sasivekalu Ganesha) or by the side of the Virupaksha Temple.
You'll easily spot this humble looking white washed shrine on this undulating sheet of rocky plateau otherwise scattered with some of the impressive looking temples in Hampi. There is a natural water spring (pond) right in front of this shrine.
The whitewashed cubical pillars of the open porch in the front is a great example of early Vijayanagara architecture.The original structure was is a partially dilapidated condition. What you see now is the restored structure by the archeology department.
Right behind the Moola Virupaksha Temple, you can see a cubical single chamber shrine of Hanuman.You'll not miss that enigmatic Frangipani ( Plumeria ) tree with its leafless branches. This is a favorite spot for the photography fans. With the ruins make great silhouettes, the sunset shots from anywhere here is wonderful!
Moola Virupaksha temple at Hampi
Moola Virupaksha temple