From the options given below, identify the most distinctive characteristic feature of the Vitthala temple.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Chariot streets in the temple complex.
Option (1) Chariot streets in the temple complex. — Correct. A characteristic feature of temple complexes such as the Vitthala temple is the chariot streets that extended from the temple gopuram in a straight line. They were paved with stone slabs and lined with pillared pavilions in which merchants set up their shops.
Option (2) Biggest platform of stone. — Incorrect. The massive platform of Vijayanagara is the mahanavami dibba in the royal centre, not a part of the Vitthala temple.
Option (3) Dome made on the temple. — Incorrect. The temple is marked by its halls, its gopuram and a shrine designed as a chariot; a dome is not one of its features.
Option (4) It is made entirely of stone. — Incorrect. Being built of stone does not set the Vitthala temple apart from the other temples of the city; its own features are its halls, its chariot-shaped shrine and the chariot streets.
NCERT (2026-27): “5.2. Gopurams and mandapas … Another shrine, the Vitthala temple, is also interesting. Here, the principal deity was Vitthala, a form of Vishnu generally worshipped in Maharashtra. The introduction of the worship of the deity in Karnataka is another indication of the ways in which the rulers of Vijayanagara drew on different traditions to create an imperial culture. As in the case of other temples, this temple too has several halls and a unique shrine designed as a chariot (Fig. 7.24). A characteristic feature of the temple complexes is the chariot streets that extended from the temple gopuram in a straight line. These streets were paved with stone slabs and lined with pillared pavilions in which merchants set up their shops.…” |