Chandikeshwara Temple is a famous Vaishnava temple, although its name might suggest it as a Shiva temple and it is located in the historical town of Hampi in the state of Karnataka. It faces towards the eastern side and is admirable for its front hall which is equipped with pillars. Resembling a tiny campus, Chandikeshwara Temple is enriched with spectacular Vijayanagara architectural patterns. The signature architectural form of Vijayanagara can be observed here which denotes the brave lion Yalis trampling Elephants under its rear feet. The pillars of the front hall are decorated with religious themes and ideas. One can approach the central part of the temple through a central pathway based in the middle of the hall.
There are two big shrines in the temple grounds: a sub-shrine at the north-western part and a huge main shrine at the central portion. One would also come across an adorned hall in front of the sanctum, inside the main shrine. Presently, there are no idols in the sanctum sanctorum of Chandikeshwara Temple, though it is believed that in the olden days there existed a Vaishnava idol here. The sub-shrine possesses an idol of the Goddess and a majority of the pillars of the main hall are richly embedded with Vaishnava themes like images of Lord Hanuman, `Kamadhenu` or the `Godly Cow` and that of `Garuda` or the eagle. These pillars are connected to the gigantic granite beams which are the foundations of the temple terrace, by lotus bud-tipped capitals.
Mortar and brick have been employed in the construction of the main shrine tower while partially destroyed stucco images can be noticed all around the main shrine. The northern part of this temple boasts of a crawling idol of Lord Krishna and the top of the shrine has been made into a domed pinnacle. A 700-pillared wall is present in the south-western part of the temple grounds. It is said that this great hall was once a sanctuary for the pilgrims visiting Hampi. Currently, this temple is not utilized for the purpose of worshipping any deity and is an interesting pilgrimage spot visited by millions.
