CHANDRAGIRI RAJA RANI MAHAL

 The second Vijayanagara capital Penuconda was

also under constant threat from Qutb Shahi and
Adil Shahi rulers.
 Therefore the capital was again shifted to
Chandragiri (Chittoor) by 1585. Penuconda was
thereafter ruled by Vijayanagara Governors.
 Chandragiri remained capital of the declining
Vijayanagara Empire till 1646.
 Located 11 km north east of Tirumala Hills,
Chandragiri has natural defences with a ring of
hills surrounding it.
 It has an upper fort, reputed to date from 1000
AD situated on a 183m (600 ft) rocky hill.
 At the base of the hill there are defensive walls
and gateways, two well preserved palaces, a tank
and other civic structures.
 The palace of the Vijayanagara kings is an early
seventeenth century specimen of south Indian
architecture combining Hindu and Muslim styles .
 The palace is 45.7m (150 feet) long with a three
storeyed façade of pointed arches and pyramidal
towers.
 It consists of a centrally located Durbar Hall.
  The hall is surrounded by a two storeyed
colonnade, which acts as a clerestorey, allowing
light to penetrate the space.

A blend of Islamic and hindu style was adopted to build

the palace and to quell the extreme heat generated
during the summer months.

 The palace and durbar were built with a mezzanine

structure with lot of natural ventilation and light.
 The king used to preside from the durbar hall and
the sometimes the royal family members used to
watch the proceedings from the balcony.
 Why Krishnadevaraya adopted a blend of Islamic
architecture is answered by his dealings with the
 arabs for trading horses prior to Portuguese
treaty.
 This was a calculated move to appease the trading
partners, and he may have even employed an
Islamic architect is my conjecture.

The palace was well compounded with high boundary

walls, since it housed the treasury of the empire.

All the diamonds, gold, silver, and gems and stones

were stored safely in an underground cellar which was
opened only in the presence of the king.



 The Main palace and the ancillary structures have
stucco facades and variations of Vijayanagara
style.
 Chandragiri is famous for the historical fort, built
in the 11th century, and the Raja Mahal (Palace)
within it.
 The fort encircles eight ruined temples of saivite
and vaishnavite pantheons, Raja Mahal, Rani Mahal
and other ruined structures.
 The Raja Mahal Palace (shown in picture) is now an
archeological museum.
 The palace is an example of Indo-
Sarcen architecture of Vijayanagar period.
 The crowning towers represents the Hindu
architectural elements.
 The palace was constructed using stone, brick,
lime mortar and devoid of timber.[1]
 Rani's Mahal is similar to that of the Raja's Mahal
in design and structure, but much smaller.
 Interestingly the ground floor is pillared open
space, the first floor contains quarters with a
beautiful well adorned tower.
 Though this was popularly know as queen's palace,
the records available in the fort show that this
was commander's quarters.
 May be that explains the stable like structure in
the ground floor.
 The temples and other structures along with a
Bath are very beautiful.
 The Bath is connected to the Rani Mahal through
an underground tunnel.

 Chandragiri was built with fortifications with

bastions and a steep moat,

LOTUS MAHAL
 One of the royal structures which Vijaynagar
possessed was the very famous Lotus Mahal.
 . The Lotus Mahal served as a chamber or a place
which was used by the emperor for special
meetings with his close advisors.
 In fact, if you pick up the map of 1799, it shows
that the place was named as the 'council chamber'
by the kings of Vijaynagar.

 The Lotus Mahal makes a vital part of the Royal

Center.
 Lotus mahal stands close to the center of the high
walled compound which is located in Royal Center
north eastern corner.
 A vaulted structure also makes a part of this
enclosure which is there for unforeseen purposes
along with two not so colossal palaces and numerous
attractive water features.
 On the compound walls one can see that there are
some square and octagonal watchtowers having
magnificently built balconies on them.
 Here one will also find a small doorway which heads
towards the stable where elephants were kept.
 When elaborating on the structure of the Lotus
Mahal, it is seen that the monument has a
composition which is symmetrically laid out.
 This structure flaunts its magnificently erected
structures on all the four corners of the
monument.
 The Lotus Mahal basically is a monument which
comprises of two storeys, each of which is having
lobed arched openings.
 These openings have multiple planes which are
encircled by magnificent designs of plaster.
 The monument also has a special arrangement
which shields it from the blows of nature like
heavy rains and bright sun.
 Over the corner and central bay of the building,
one will find the beautifully curved eaves which run
continually around the structure.
 The ninth tower can also be located on the
monument which is almost similar to the eight
towers mentioned earlier but beats them when it
comes to height.
 Later in the renovation stages of the Mahal, it is
believed that a staircase towards the corner was
added.
 It added to the convenience of the people who
came to visit the Mahal.
 In all, the Lotus Mahal can be seen as one of the
most representative examples which clearly
exhibit courtly style of Vijaynagar.
 The stunning Lotus Mahal stands tall as one of the
finest fusions demonstrating the Mughal and
typical South Indian style of architecture.

PLAN OF LOTUS MAHAL

ELEVATION OF LOTUS
MAHAL