Virupakshi Temple

Virupakshi Temple is a historic Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva as Virupaksha, located in Virupakshi village at Hampi in Vijayanagara District, Karnataka. Situated on the south bank of the Tungabhadra River, it is the principal temple of the Hampi Group of Monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Notable for its towering eastern gopuram, ancient origins and continuous worship, it remains a major pilgrimage and architectural landmark of the Vijayanagara era.

Visitors can expect a large active temple complex with a towering 50-meter eastern gopuram, pillared halls, smaller shrines, courtyards and stone carvings. The temple is set within the Hampi bazaar area near the Tungabhadra River and Hemakuta Hill, with paved courtyards, mandapas and views of surrounding boulder-strewn hills. Visitors can explore the main sanctum, circumambulation paths, temple elephant Lakshmi, and observe daily rituals and architecture from Chalukya and Vijayanagara periods.

The temple's origins trace to the 7th century with early Chalukya period structures, later extensively expanded under the Vijayanagara Empire from the 14th to 16th centuries. Rulers including Krishnadevaraya added the main gopuram and mandapas. It survived the destruction of Hampi in 1565 and remains the only continuously worshipped temple among Hampi's monuments, representing Vijayanagara architecture.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva worshipped as Virupaksha, consort of local goddess Pampa associated with the Tungabhadra River. It is the principal religious centre of Hampi, hosting daily pujas and annual festivals such as the Virupaksha Car Festival and Shivaratri, drawing pilgrims and reflecting Shaiva traditions of Karnataka.