List of Vijayanagara era temples in Karnataka

The List of Vijayanagara era temples in Karnataka includes notable and historically important Hindu and Jain temples and monoliths that were built or received significant patronage by the kings and vassals of the Vijayanagara Empire during the period 1336-1646 AD. This period includes the rule of the four dynasties: the Sangama, the Saluva, the Tuluva, and the Aravidu dynasties.

Common name	Photo	Location	District	Year	Notes
Someshwara[1]		Kolar city	Kolar	Early 14th century	According to the Archaeological Survey of India the temple is assignable to the early Vijayanagara period
Vidyashankara[2][3][4]		Sringeri	Chikkamagaluru	16th century	According to art historian George Michell, the unusual stellate appearance of the temple is due to the influence of Hoysala architecture.
Shiva[5][6]		Hemakuta hill, Hampi	Ballari	Early 14th century	Hemakuta group of temples, UNESCO World heritage site
Shiva[5][6]		Hemakuta hill, Hampi	Ballari	14th century	Hemakuta group of temples, UNESCO World heritage site
Shiva[5][6]		Hemakuta hill, Hampi	Ballari	14th century	Hemakuta group of temples
Shiva[5][6]		Hemakuta hill, Hampi	Ballari	14th century	Hemakuta group of temples, UNESCO World heritage site
Shiva[5][6]		Hemakuta hill, Hampi	Ballari	14th century	Hemakuta group of temples
Ganagitti (Jain)[7][8]		Hampi	Ballari	c.1385	An inscription on the site states that the temple was built in A.D. 1385 by lruga, in the reign of King Harihara II, UNESCO World heritage site
Saavira Kambada Basadi[9][10]		Mudabidri	Udupi	c.1429–1430	Known locally as the 1000-pillared temple
Narayana [11]		Melkote	Mandya	c.1458	Also known as Cheluva Narayana temple, it was built by the local Vijayanagara chieftain
Narasimhaswamy[11]		Melkote	Mandya	c.15th century	According to historian George Michell, the massive gateway on the hilltop (gopura) is unfinished.
Virupaksha[12][13][14]		Hampi	Ballari	14th-16th centuries	UNESCO World heritage site
Temple tank (Pushkarni)[15][16]		Hampi	Ballari	16th century	Stepped temple tank in Hoysala style, UNESCO World heritage site
Hazara Rama[12][13]		Hampi	Ballari	c.1406-1542	UNESCO World heritage site
Chandikeshwara[12][17]		Hampi	Ballari	c.1545	UNESCO World heritage site
Uddhana Virabhadra[17][18]		Hampi	Ballari	c.1545	UNESCO World heritage site
Pattabhirama[12][19]		Hampi	Ballari	c.1529-1546	UNESCO World heritage site
Alvar group[20]		Hampi	Ballari	c.1556	Five temples were built for the Vaishnava saints Tirumangai, Mudal, Nammalvar, Tirumalishai & Ramanuja; UNESCO World heritage site
Kallina Ratha[12][13]		Hampi	Ballari	c.1529-1546	UNESCO World heritage site
Achyutaraya[12][21]		Hampi	Ballari	c.1529-1546	UNESCO World heritage site
Sasivekalu Ganesha[12][22]		Hampi	Ballari	15th century	UNESCO World heritage site
Kadalekalu Ganesha[12][13][22]		Hampi	Ballari	15th century	UNESCO World heritage site
Prasanna Virupaksha[12][23]		Hampi	Ballari	c.1509	UNESCO World heritage site
Nandi monolith[12][24]		Hampi	Ballari	15th century	UNESCO World heritage site
Ugra Narasimha[12][13]		Hampi	Ballari	15th century	UNESCO World heritage site
Badavi linga[25]		Hampi	Ballari	15th century	UNESCO World heritage site
Mallikarjuna[26]		Hospet	Ballari	1406–1422	Located in Mallapanagudi, close to Hospet
Vishnu[12]		Hampi	Ballari	16th century	UNESCO World heritage site
Chandrashekara[12][27]		Hampi	Ballari	c.1406-1446	UNESCO World heritage site
Balakrishna[12][13][28]		Hampi	Ballari	c.1509-1529	UNESCO World heritage site
Raghunatha[12][29]		Hampi	Ballari	c.1529-1542	UNESCO World heritage site
Vitthala[12][13]		Hampi	Ballari	c.1426-1542	UNESCO World heritage site
Virupaksha[30]		Virupakshi	Kolar	15th century
Vijayendra		Bethamangala	Kolar	15th century
Chaturmukha (Jain)[31][32]		Karkala	Uttara Kannada	c.1586-1587	Literally means "four faced" temple.
Bahubali monolith (Jain)[31][32]		Karkala	Uttara Kannada	c.1431-1432	The monolith of Bahubali here stands twelve and half meters tall.
Parshwanatha Basadi (Jain)[32][33]		Gerusoppa	Uttara Kannada	1581	The Basadi is also called Ratnatraya Badasi and was built by Rangapparajodeya. It has shrines for Neminatha, Parsvanatha and Vardhamana.
Shantappa Naika Tirumala[34][35]		Bhatkal	Uttara Kannada	1555	Built by Shantappa Nayaka
Virupaksha[34][36]		Gokarna	Uttara Kannada	1570	Built by Queen Virambika
Bala Kini Raghunatha[34][37]		Bhatkal	Uttara Kannada	1590	Built by Bala Kini
Khetapai Narayan[38][39]		Bhatkal	Uttara Kannada	1540	Built by local chief Ketapayya
Bahubali monolith (Jain)[40]		Venur	Uttara Kannada	c.1606	The monolith was built by the local Ajila Chiefs.
Gangadhareshvara[41][42]		Shivagange	Bangalore rural	c.1600	Shivagange was the principal seat of the Gowda rulers, the founders of Bangalore. Portraits of Kempe Gowda I (dated c.1608) and his two brothers are installed in the rock cut chamber of the temple.
Gavi Gangadhareshvara[43]		Bangalore	Bangalore	c.1600	The cave temple was built by Kempe Gowda I in the 16th century.
Kollur Mookambika[44]		Kollur	Udupi	c.1616	Built by Venkatappa Nayaka of the Nayaka Dynasty of Keladi
Chandranatha(Jain)[32][45]		Bhatkal	Uttara Kannada	c.1484	The temples was built by Hadavalli prince Salvendra
Aryadurga[34]		Ankola	Uttara Kannada	1505
Partakali Jivottam[34]		Gokarna	Uttara Kannada	1560
Mahalasa Narayan[34]		Kumta	Uttara Kannada	1560
Rameshwara[46][47]		Keladi	Shimoga	Early 16th century	The Rameshvara shrine was built by Chudappa Nayaka (c.1499–1530), the founder of the dynasty, and the adjoining Veerabhadra shrine was built by his successor Sadashiva Nayaka (r.1530–1566).
Aghoreshwara[48][49]		Ikkeri	Shimoga	Late 16th century	The Aghoreshwara shrine was built by Dodda Sankanna Nayaka (or Sankanna I, r.1566–1570) who moved his capital from Keladi to Ikkeri.
Mahaganapati Mahamaya[34]		Shirali	Uttara Kannada	1560
Ishwara[34]		Baindur	Udupi	16th century
Balarama[34]		Malpe	Dakshina Kannada	16th century
Indrani[34]		Manipal	Dakshina Kannada	16th century
Bhoga Nandishwara[1][50]		Nandi	Chikkaballapura	15th century	A pavilion with elegant pillars between the two major shrines, a navaranga mantapa (pavilion) with Yali pillars and a large stepped temple tank (kalyani or pushkarni) were added in this period.
Kanakachalapathi[51][52]		Kanakagiri	Koppal	c.1509–1529
Ananthasayana[53]		Ananthasayanagudi	Ballari	c.1524
Mahaganapati[54]		Kurudumale	Kolar	16th century
Teru Malleshwara[55]		Hiriyur	Chitradurga	c.1466
Nandi (Bull)[56][57]		Bengaluru	Bangalore Urban	c.1509–1529
Someshwara[58][59]		Bengaluru	Bangalore Urban	16th century	One of the oldest temples in Bangalore, major additions or modifications to which were made during the late Vijayanagara Empire period under the rule of Kempe Gowda I (Hiriya Kempe Gowda).
Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple[59]		Bengaluru	Bangalore Urban	16th century	Cave temple and one of the oldest temples in Bangalore, dates from the late Vijayanagara Empire period, built by Kempe Gowda I (Hiriya Kempe Gowda).
Gangadhareshwara Temple, Shivagange[59]		Shivagange	Bangalore Rural	16th century	Cave temple, dates from the late Vijayanagara Empire period, built by Kempe Gowda I (Hiriya Kempe Gowda).
Lakshmikanthaswamy[60]		Tumkur	Tumkur	c.1560
Gopala Krishnaswami[61]		Thimmalapura	Ballari	c.1539
Shiva[61]		Thimmalapura	Ballari	c.1539
Ranganatha[62]		Rangasthala	Chikkaballapura	c.1600
Gaurishvara[63]		Yelandur	Chamarajanagar	c.1500	The temple was constructed by a local chief Singedepa Devabhupala of the Hadinadu chiefdom, a feudatory of the 16th century Vijayanagara Empire
Jambunatheshwara [64]		Hospet	Ballari	c.1500
Vijayanarayana[63][65]		Gundlupet	Chamarajanagar	15th century
Ranganatha[66]		Magadi	Ramanagara	c.1524	The gopura (tower) were built by the Vijayanagar emperor Krishnadevaraya in the 16th century and was later renovated by King Jayachamaraja Wodeyar of the Mysore Kingdom.
Someshwara[67][68]		Magadi	Ramanagara	c.1569	Built by Kempe Gowda I, the founder of Bangalore
Gunja Narasimhaswamy[69]		Tirumakudal Narasipur	Mysore	16th century	The temple was under the patronage of the local governor of Mysore, during the Vijayanagara rule over South India.

Notes

1. Monuments of Bengaluru circle:Archaeological Survey of India, Kolar
2. Monuments of Bengaluru circle:Archaeological Survey of India, Chikmagalur
3. Rajan, Soundara K.V. (2001), p46
4. Michell, George (2013), chapter:Karnataka, section:19.H, Shringeri
5. Biswas C. Subhas (2014), Chapter:Wonders of Karnataka-II: Hampi, Section: "Hemakuta Hill Temples"
6. Verghese, Anila (2002), p38
7. Monuments of Bengaluru circle:Archaeological Survey of India, Bellary, p2
8. Michell, George (2013), chapter:Karnataka, section:20, Hampi
9. Michell, George (1995), p58
10. Sajnani, Manohar (2001), p.166
11. Michell, George (2013), chapter:Karnataka, section:15, Melkote
12. Monuments of Bengaluru circle:Archaeological Survey of India, Bellary
13. Ahmed, Farooqui Salma (2011), pp138-142
14. Fritz and Michell (2001), pp7-9
15. Hampi, p54 (2003), John M. Fritz, George Michell, John Gollings, India Book House, OCLC:50434048
16. India: The Elephant's Blessing, Chapter: Hampi or Vijayanagara - The city of victory, Aline Dobbie, Melrose Press, p205, 2006, OCLC:74119289
17. Hampi, Travel Guide (2003), p57
18. Verghese, Anila (2002), p31
19. Malville in Fritz & Michell (2001), p120
20. Mack in Fritz & Michell (2001), p28, p34, p35, p36
21. Sajnani, Manohar (2001), p.142
22. Hampi, Travel Guide (2003), p63
23. Wagoner in Fritz & Michell (2001), p23
24. Verghese, Anila (2002), p42
25. Yang, Jane et al, p301, (2003), Let's Go India & Nepal 8th Ed, Section: Karnataka, Sub-section: Hampi, Let's Go Inc, ISBN 0-312-32006-X
26. Sinapoli & Morrison in Fritz & Michell (2001), p109
27. Verghese, Anila (2002), p59
28. Jenkins in Fritz & Michell (2001), p88-89, Malville in Fritz & Michell (2001), p120
29. Malville and Thakur in Fritz and Michell (2001), pp122-123, p132
30. A. V. Narasimha Murthy, C.T.M. Kotraiah, et al, (2001), p339, Hemakuta: recent researches in archeology and museology, Publisher: Bharatiya Kala Prakashan, ISBN 8186050663
31. Titze, Kurt; Bruhn, Klaus (1998), p45
32. Michell, George (1995), p61
33. "Uttara Kannada". Archaeological Survey of India. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
34. Kamath, Jyotsna in Temples of Karnataka
35. "Uttara Kannada". Archaeological Survey of India. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
36. "Uttara Kannada". Archaeological Survey of India. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
37. "Uttara Kannada". Archaeological Survey of India. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
38. Michell, George (1995), p63
39. "Uttara Kannada". Archaeological Survey of India. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
40. Michell, George (2013), chapter:Karnataka, section:17, Venur
41. Michell, George (2013), Chapter: Karnataka, Section: Bengaluru, Sub-section: Shivaganga
42. Michell, George (1995), p207
43. Gadagkar, Rajita (2005), p207, Bangalore & Karnataka, Infinitum Publications, ISBN 8190250507
44. Michell, George (2013), chapter:Karnataka, section:17, Kollur
45. "Uttara Kannada". Archaeological Survey of India. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
46. Rajan, Soundara K.V. (2001), p23
47. Michell, George (1995), p66
48. Michell, George (1995), p67
49. Muthanna, I.M. (1977), p190
50. Michell, George (2013), Chapter: Karnataka, Section: Bengaluru, Sub-section: Nandi
51. "Koppal". Karnataka.com. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
52. "Places of Interest in Koppal district". Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
53. Archaeological Survey of India, Bellary
54. Rajan, Soundara (2001), p27
55. Sajnani, Manohar (2001), p.163
56. Built by Chief Kempe Gowda I, Raman, Afried (1994), p8
57. Let's Go India & Nepal, 8th Edition, Chapter: Karnataka, Section:Bangalore, Let's Go Inc, Macmillan, 1 December 2003 ISBN 0-312-32006-X
58. Built by Chief Kempe Gowda I, Raman, Afried (1994), p19
59. Michell, George (1995), p69 in Architecture and Art of Southern India, Volume 1
60. Journal of the Andhra Historical Society, Volumes 25-26, p155, (1960), Published at Rajahmundry by Andhra Historical Research Society
61. Michell, George in Pieris and Raven (2010), p271
62. Conjeeveram Hayavadana Rao, Benjamin Lewis Rice, Mysore Gazetteer, Government Press, p297, 1930 - Mysore, India
63. Archaeological Survey of India, Chamarajanagar
64. Shivakumar G Malagi. "Mining damages 500-year-old Hospet shrine". Deccan Chronocle. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
65. Sajnani, Manohar (2001), p.141
66. • Achari, Soumya Narayan. "Magadi's Ancient Temple". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
67. Rice, B.L. (1887), p22, Mysore: A Gazetteer Compiled for Government - vol 2, Asian Educational Services, ISBN 81-206-0977-8
68. Tourist Guide to Bangalore, page 8, Sura Books, 2006, Bangalore, ISBN 81-7478-021-1
69. Rice B.L. (1887), p312, Mysore: A Gazetteer Compiled for Government - vol 2, Asian Educational Services, ISBN 81-206-0977-8

References

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• Biswas C. Subhas (2014), India the Land of Gods, Partridge Publishing, New Delhi, ISBN 978-1-4828-3656-1
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