Choose the correct statements about ‘Virupaksha Temple’ built during the Vijayanagara period.
(A) The temple was built over centuries.
(B) The hall in front of the main shrine was built by Krishnadeva Raya.
(C) The eastern gopuram was built by the local Nayakas.
(D) A large part of the temple complex is occupied by the central shrine.
(E) The halls in the temple were used for a variety of purposes.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (A), (B), (E) Only
(A) The temple was built over centuries. Correct. The Virupaksha temple was built over centuries: the earliest shrine dated to the ninth-tenth centuries, and the temple was substantially enlarged with the establishment of the Vijayanagara Empire.
(B) The hall in front of the main shrine was built by Krishnadeva Raya. Correct. Krishnadeva Raya built the hall in front of the main shrine to mark his accession; it was decorated with delicately carved pillars.
(C) The eastern gopuram was built by the local Nayakas. Incorrect. The construction of the eastern gopuram is credited to Krishnadeva Raya himself, not to the nayakas.
(D) A large part of the temple complex is occupied by the central shrine. Incorrect. The additions of Krishnadeva Raya meant that the central shrine came to occupy a relatively small part of the complex.
(E) The halls in the temple were used for a variety of purposes. Correct. Some halls were spaces where images of gods watched programmes of music, dance and drama; others were used to celebrate the marriages of deities, and yet others were meant for the deities to swing in.
NCERT (2026-27): “5.2. Gopurams and mandapas … The Virupaksha temple was built over centuries. While inscriptions suggest that the earliest shrine dated to the ninth-tenth centuries, it was substantially enlarged with the establishment of the Vijayanagara Empire. The hall in front of the main shrine was built by Krishnadeva Raya to mark his accession. This was decorated with delicately carved pillars. He is also credited with the construction of the eastern gopuram. These additions meant that the central shrine came to occupy a relatively small part of the complex. The halls in the temple were used for a variety of purposes. Some were spaces in which the images of gods were placed to witness special programmes of music, dance, drama, etc. Others were used to celebrate the marriages of deities, and yet others were meant for the deities to swing in. Special images, distinct from those kept in the small central shrine, were used on these occasions.” |