Identify the form of Vishnu generally worshipped in Maharashtra?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Vitthala
Vitthala is a form of Vishnu generally worshipped in Maharashtra, at Pandharpur. The rulers of Vijayanagara built a temple for him in their capital, the Vitthala temple, with a unique shrine designed as a chariot. Bringing a Maharashtrian deity to Karnataka shows how the Vijayanagara kings drew on different traditions to create an imperial culture.
NCERT (2025-26): “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.…” |