HistoryMedieval India: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara

A pilgrim at the rocky northern end of Vijayanagara writes down the s…

A pilgrim at the rocky northern end of Vijayanagara writes down the sacred traditions linked with the place. Which of the following pairs is correctly matched?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → Local hills - Monkey kingdom of Vali and Sugriva

Option (1) Pampadevi - Guardian deity of the kingdom — Incorrect. Pampadevi was the local mother goddess. The guardian deity of the kingdom was Virupaksha, whom she wished to marry.

Option (2) Virupaksha - Recognised as a form of Vishnu — Incorrect. Virupaksha, the guardian deity of the kingdom, was recognised as a form of Shiva.

Option (3) Local hills - Monkey kingdom of Vali and Sugriva — Correct. Local tradition holds that these hills sheltered the monkey kingdom of Vali and Sugriva from the Ramayana. It is one of several sacred traditions of the area.

Option (4) Jaina temples - Built under the Vijayanagara rulers — Incorrect. The Jaina temples among these hills belong to the pre-Vijayanagara period, so they are older than the empire.

NCERT (2026-27): “5.1 Choosing a capital
We now move to the rocky northern end of the city on the banks of the Tungabhadra. According to local tradition, these hills sheltered the monkey kingdom of Vali and Sugriva mentioned in the Ramayana. Other traditions suggest that Pampadevi, the local mother goddess, did penance in these hills in order to marry Virupaksha, the guardian deity of the kingdom, also recognised as a form of Shiva. To this day this marriage is celebrated annually in the Virupaksha temple. Among these hills are found Jaina temples of the pre-Vijayanagara period as well. In other words, this area was associated with several sacred traditions.”