VIJAYANAGAR RELIGION

(1336-1646)

Pre Vijayanagar Religious Traditions

The sanctity of Hampi began in pre-Vijayanagara times, and, as is common
in most parts of southern India, the original deity was a local goddess who
was worshipped here under the name of Pampa. The worship of this
goddess dates to at least the seventh century AD from when there is an
epigraphically reference to 'Pampa'. This local folk goddess came to be
'Sanskrit zed' in the pre-Vijayanagara period by marriage to Virupaksha (a
form of Shiva). Marriage with Shiva or one of his incarnations was the
almost universal and favorite method in south India of absorbing local
goddesses into the brahmanical pantheon. As a result, Pampa came to be
considered an incarnation of the goddess Parvati. The story of Pampa and
Virupaksha follows the typical pattern of the southern sthalapuranas (texts
that recount the mythic origin and traditions of a sacred spot), the central
element of which is the myth of the Devi’s marriage to the god. The most
important annual festivals in the Virupaksha temple to this day are the
Phalapuja (betrothal) and the Kalyanotsava (marriage festival). As a result
of this process of 'Sanskritization' the goddess became less important than
the male deity; at present she is worshipped only in a small sub-shrine in
the Virupaksha temple complex. Indeed, literary and epigraphically
evidence indicates that by the twelfth century AD Virupaksha had already
emerged as the principal divinity of Hampi. Although there are temples
dedicated to Virupaksha elsewhere in southern India, Hampi was, and
remains to this day, the original centre of the Virupaksha cult.

Another Shaivite deity who was worshipped at the site before the empire
period is Bhairava. An AD 1199 inscription, located in a small ninth- century
temple (presently dedicated to the goddess Durga) north of the Virupaksha
temple complex, mentions the goddess Pampa and the male deities
Virupaksha and Bhairava- deva. The Bhairava temple was a pre-
Vijayanagara structure on the southern slope of Hemakuta hill.

Although predominantly a Shaivite holy spot prior to the empire period,

Hampi and its environs have also been closely associated with the
Ramayana, the mythical kingdom of the monkey kings, Vali and Sugriva.
The events of the Ramayana related to this site centre around the meeting
of Rama with Hanuman and Sugriva and the formation of their alliance.
Epigraphically and literary references reveal that its association with the
Ramayana dates back to the eleventh century AD. However, there is no
evidence of the worship of Rama at the site prior to the empire period.

EXISTING RELIGIONS UNDER THE GREAT VIJAYANAGAR EMPIRE

The Vijayanagara emperors were a model of religious toleration as is

evidenced by the extensive epigraphic and literary evidence and by the
accounts of foreigners. It gave patronage to a variety of religions, to name
a few Hinduism being the dominant one, Jainism, Islam, Christianity etc.

Hinduism

The empire's founders, Harihara I and Bukka Raya I, were

devout Shaivas (worshippers of Shiva), but made grants to
the Vaishnava order as well. The later Saluva and Tuluva kings were
Vaishnava by faith, but worshipped at the feet of Lord Virupaksha (Shiva)
at Hampi as well as Lord Venkateshwara (Vishnu) at Tirupati. Some of the
famous temples were Virupaksha Temple, Vitthala Temple, Hazara Rama
Temple, and Lotus Temple etc.
Jainism

The defeat of the Jain Western Ganga Dynasty by the Cholas in the early
11th century and the rising numbers of followers of Vaishnava Hinduism
and Virashaivism in the 12th century was mirrored by a decreased interest
in Jainism. Two notable locations of Jain worship in the Vijayanagara
territory were Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli.
 Jain temple of Kunthu Jinanatha (AD 1385).
Islam
During the archaeological dig over one fourth of the finds are "Islamic
Quarter" which is not far from the "Royal Quarter". It was called the
Muslim residential quarter. Tombs and mosques located here have
distinctive functions, yet their architecture resembles that of the mandapas
found in the temples of Hampi. Islamic contact with South India began as
early as the 7th century, a result of trade between the Southern kingdoms
and Arab lands. Jumma Masjids existed in the Rashtrakuta Empire by the
10th century. And many mosques flourished on the Malabar coast by the
early 14th century. Muslim settlers married local women; their children were
known as Mappillas (Moplahs) and were actively involved in horse
trading and manning shipping fleets. The interactions between the
Vijayanagara Empire and the Bahamani Sultanates to the north increased
the presence of Muslims in the south. Nobles from Central Asia's Timurid
kingdoms also came to Vijayanagara.
 A mosque architecture resembling that of a mandapas

.
Christianity
The introduction of Christianity began as early as the 8th century as shown
by the finding of copper plates inscribed with land grants to Malabar
Christians. Christian travelers wrote of the scarcity of Christians in South
India in the middle Ages, promoting its attractiveness to missionaries. The
arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th century and their connections through
trade with the empire, the propagation of the faith by Saint Xavier (1545)
and later the presence of Dutch settlements fostered the growth of
Christianity in the south.
Naga Worship

Worship of the Nagas was another popular cult in the Vijayanagara Empire.
The hooded cobra was considered to be most important and worship was
offered to it on the fourth day of the bright fortnight in the month of
drdvana85. On the day of Nagachauti women used to fast and pour milk
over the Nagas. It was believed that the worshipping of Nagas would, in
fulfillment of their vow, confer motherhood on women who , installed
Nagakals when they were blessed with offspring. There are a number of
Nagakals belonging to this period preserved in the northeast comer of the
underground temple dedicated to Siva at Hampi i.e. the verandah of the
Traveler's Rest house at Kamalapur. Even god Virupaksha was referred to
as the Lord of Nagas The emperors of Vijayanagara worshipped the Nagas
and considered Siva as Naganatha. Male and Female Nagas were also
carved in stone in various temples.

Tree Worship

The people of the Vijayanagara Empire worshipped trees also. The

Upanayana Ceremony (investiture with the sacred thread) was performed
by the devotees to a pipal tree. It was customary to plant a pipal and a
margosa tree side by side at the entrance of a village and to perform the
marriage of both the trees, which represented the bride and bride-groom.
Even today Shami trees are also worshipped by the people.
Conclusion (post the fall of Vijayanagara Empire)
The Vijayanagara emperors were a model of religious toleration as is
evidenced by the extensive epigraphic and literary evidence and by the
accounts of foreigners.

Very little is known about the religious history of the site between 1565 and
1900. While there is no evidence of worship having survived in the Vitthala
temple and other major Vaishnava temples after the desertion of the site in
1565, there is evidence that the great Virupaksha temple continued as a
religious establishment in the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The
Aravidu dynasty did not break off ties with Virupaksha, the patron deity of
the kingdom

That the Virupaksha temple continued to be a place of worship and even

pilgrimage in the eighteenth-nineteenth centuries, especially after the
region came under British rule and enjoyed greater stability, is indicated by
the apparent construction of the superstructure of the northern gopura in
the eighteenth century.

In modern times, the Virupaksha temple at Hampi continues to be a centre

of religious activity and even of pilgrimage. The Phalapuja and
Kalyanotsava festivals of the temple, celebrated annually at the end of
December and early April respectively, attract enormous crowds. It is
significant that the cults and traditions that had some early associations
with the site have survived to a greater or lesser extent. On the other hand,
the great Vaishnava cults (e.g. those of Vitthala, Tiruvengalanatha and
Krishna) that were, in a sense, imported into the city, disappeared once
court patronage was withdrawn. These apparently had not struck deep
roots and hence could not survive the calamities that befell the city after the
battle of Talikota.