Which of the following pairs about the Virupaksha temple and other temples of Vijayanagara is correctly matched?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Some temple halls - meant for the deities to swing in
Option (1) Eastern gopuram of the Virupaksha temple - built by Harihara — Incorrect. The eastern gopuram of the Virupaksha temple is credited to Krishnadeva Raya.
Option (2) Some temple halls - meant for the deities to swing in — Correct. Temple halls served many uses: some held images to watch music and dance, some saw divine marriages, and some were meant for the deities to swing in.
Option (3) Hall in front of the Virupaksha shrine - built to mark a military victory — Incorrect. Krishnadeva Raya built this hall to mark his accession to the throne.
Option (4) Earliest shrine of the Virupaksha temple - dated to the twelfth-thirteenth centuries — Incorrect. Inscriptions date the earliest shrine to the ninth-tenth centuries; the temple was enlarged much later, under the Vijayanagara Empire.
NCERT (2026-27): “5.2. Gopurams and mandapas … “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. …” |