Home > Arts & Culture > Indian Sculpture > Vijayanagara Sculptures
Vijayanagara Sculptures
Vijayanagara sculptures are widely visible in the temples, monuments and palaces that were built during the Vijayanagara Empire.

Share this Article:

Vijayanagara Sculptures, Indian Temple SculpturesVijayanagara Sculptures combined the Chalukya, Chola, Pandya and Hoysala architectural modes. Soapstone was used for sculpture as it is soft and could be easily carved. The kingdom built temples, monuments, palaces and other structures across South India, with a principal focus in its capital. The monuments of Hampi and Vijayanagara are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the Vijayanagara period the local hard granite was preferred in the Badami Chalukya style. The use of granite reduced the density of sculptured works. As granite is prone to flaking, few pieces of individual sculptures reached the high levels of quality seen in previous centuries. In order to cover the unevenness of the stone employed in sculptures, artists employed plaster to give the rough surface a smooth finish painted it thereafter with colours.

Feature of Vijayanagara Architecture
The rulers of Vijayanagara were the successors of the rich traditions in art and architecture of the Cholas, the Pandyas and the Hoysala. The architecture of this period is generally perceived as a continued and developed form of the Dravida style. The rulers of this reign were interested in renovating and enlarging a lot of falling down temples of the past. The Hemakuta temple at Hampi and the Vishnupada at Viziyanagaram in Andhra Pradesh along with Lakshmi temple at Melukote and the Belur Chennakeshava temple illustrate this point.

Some of the salient features of the Vijayanagara style of architecture are as follows:

Vijayanagara Sculptures, Indian Temple Sculptures
Vijayanagara temples have gopurams that are adorned with large life sized figures of men, woman, Gods and Goddesses. This style became popular during the rule of king Krishnadevaraya and is seen in South Indian temples constructed over the next 200 years. The compound reflected concentric series of rectangular area walls with towers in the middle of each wall. Occasionally the main temple at the centre is surrounded by a number of smaller temples.


•Another notable feature of this period was the construction of a number of mandapas in the premises of a temple. Such mandapas are found in the temples of Tirupati.


•Attractive wall paintings are found horizontally on the platform mouldings, caves and the pillars in the centre of a temple. They emerge vertically on compound pillars. These wall paintings are also found on the walls and doorways.


•The forts at Anegondi, Ikkeri, Penugonda, Chitradurga, Bhatkala and Chandragiri give appropriate examples for the military architecture of this period.

Temple Architecture of Vijayanagara
In temple building, the Vijayanagara continued the traditions and styles of the Chalukyas, Cholas and Pandyas. Sculpture was integrally linked with architecture in the creation of Vijayanagara temples. Large life-size figures of men, women, gods, and goddesses decorate the gopuram of many Vijayanagara temples. Some of them are as follows:

Harasa Rama Temple: One of the marvellous temples of Vijayanagara time is the famed Harasa Rama Temple at Vijayanagara built in the reign of Krishna Deva Raya. The temple does not have a gopuram. The four middle pillars are finely polished and decorated with stunning sculptures, panels of the whole life of Rama and episodes from the Ramayana are delicately sculptured on the external side of the temple.

Temple of Vithala: The temple of Vithala also in Vijayanagara dedicated to Vishnu is one more huge structure. It has axial mandapas and small shrines and gopurams. It has an extremely ornamented key mandapa with complicated picture compositions painted on the ceiling. This shows that the art of sculpture and painting had attained a very high degree of brilliance during that period. The classic high gopuram is covered with excellent sculptures.

Temples at Tadipatri: The temples at Tadipatri were built by local chieftains of the Vijayanagara Empire.


Share this Article:

Related Articles

More Articles in Indian Sculpture


Sculptures in Bhaja & Karle Caves
The caves at Karle and Bhaja illustrate the Buddhist art located in Maharashtra.
Rock sculptures
Champa, an important city during 6th century BC, was the ancient name of Bhagalpur. A number of Rock sculptures have been found here in the course of excavation.
Delhi Sultanate Sculptures
Delhi sultanate Sculptures paved the way for the entry of the Persian architecture in India.
Types of South Indian Temple Sculptures
Types of South Indian Temple Sculpture have the dynamic looks and these temples sculptures are evolved through out the ages in the midst of the rise and fall of many South Indian Empires.
Sculptures of Dashavatara Temple
Sculptures of Dashavatara Temple is evident in every part of the temple which has images of various gods and goddesses.
Gandhara School of Art and Sculpture
Gandhara School of Art and Sculpture was developed during the 1st century AD. Gandhara arts were in a blue-grey mica schist, though sometimes in a green phyllite and stucco, or in terracotta.
Bahmani Architecture
Bahmani architecture has been influenced by Persian style of architecture. The Bahamani kingdom flourished in architectural monuments.
Sculpture of Orissa
Orissa became a substantial centre of sculpture in the 7th century and had remained so throughout the post-Gupta and later Hindu eras.
Features Of Pala Sculpture
Features of Pala Sculpture slowly broke away from the Magadha style in the 10th century.
Indian Temple Sculptures
Indian Temple sculptures exhibits to the world the astonishing pieces of art. The religious places were the seats of learning and developing art in the ancient days.
Indian Bronze Sculptures
Bronze sculptures have been made in India since sixth century in various parts of India. This art had its beginning in Indus Valley Civilization.
Sculpture of Sarnath
Sculptural works of the said places were primarily concentrated in Buddhism, with intricate masonry.
Chalukya Sculptures
Chalukya sculptures evolved a new idiom for the construction of several temples and are renowned for their exquisite architectural marvels.
Pallava Sculptures
Pallava Sculptures for the first time introduced the use of rock in Indian architecture.
Magadha Sculpture
Magadha Sculpture includes the remarkable pieces of art from both Mauryan and Gupta dynasties.
Gupta Sculptures in India
Gupta sculptures exhibit the art works which was prevalent during the Gupta rule. The sculptures of the Gupta period remained as the ideals of art for several generations.
Rashtrakuta Sculptures
Rashtrakuta sculptures and architectures thrived under royal patronage. They are well known for their intricate carvings.
Sculpture at Ellora Caves
Ellora caves were sculpted into the sides of a basaltic rock of the Charanadari hill in Deccan, at Aurangabad.
Badami Chalukya Sculptures
Badami Chalukya sculptures developed during the 5th and 8th centuries and include the various forms of sculptured existent in the Badami Cave Temples, rock-cut temples and numerous other forms of ancient temples.
Hoysala Sculpture
Hoysala sculpture emerged in Karnataka and thrived under the royal patronage. Numerous temples were built in the Hoysala Empire that speaks volumes about the Hoysala sculpture.
Nagara Style of Architecture
Nagara style of Architecture, developed during the 5th century, is an emblem of architectural wonder and is scattered through out various regions of the country.