Kings of Vijayanagara: Icons of Bharatavarsha

We all should be very thankful to Tenali Rama.

But for the folk-tales about his wit, we would be completely ignorant about the Vijayanagara Empire and its kings. But for its prominence, South India would have been in total ruins battered by ruthless Islamic invasions from the North. We owe a lot to these kings of Vijayanagara who stood as our guardian angels protecting our Dharma through several centuries.

Emergence of a New Empire

Around the early 14th century, several kingdoms of South India were repeatedly invaded by the forces of Delhi Sultanate. Two warrior brothers Harihara and Bukka who witnessed the horrors of these invasions, decided to put an end to the atrocities committed by them. Inspired by saint Vidhyaranya of the Sringeri monastery, they established a kingdom in the region between the rivers Krishna and Tungabhadra in 1336. This kingdom soon grew into a majestic empire which not only stopped the invasions but also became a grooming centre for spirituality, arts and learning. The remnants of this empire can be found in present day Hampi, Karnataka, now a World Heritage site.

The fruits the Empire yielded are so many. Temple architecture gained a new style that combined several South and Central Indian styles. Efficient administration and active trade with overseas countries brought new technological innovations. Music, literature and other fine arts flourished and thrived. Carnatic music evolved into its current form. With so many languages around, Hinduism became the unifying factor. The Vijayanagara Empire marked a new era in the history of Southern India united by Hinduism.

Religion

The Vijayanagara Empire brought about the resurgence of Hinduism. The kings thought devout Shaivites, made grants to several Vaishnavite temples as well.  Their designated emblem was Varaha (the boar) which was an Avatar of Lord Vishnu. The kings also patronized the saints of Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya at Udupi. They repaired and rebuilt several temples in South India including those in Madurai, Srirangam, Thiruvarur, Rameswaram, Chidambaram, Tirunelveli, Thiruvannamalai and Sirvilliputhur. They built new temples in Kanchipuram, Kumbakonam and Vellore. The kings also celebrated Maharasankaranti, Mahanavami, Ugadi, Deepavali, Karthigai, Holi etc with great fanfare. 

Secularity and Religious Tolerance

A noteworthy aspect of this empire was its tolerance of other religious practices. Though the kings were devout Hindus, they did not impose their religious beliefs on others. Two important places of Jain worship namely Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli were built during their time. In the reign of King Deva Raya a mosque was built for the Muslims of Vijayanagara. In fact, their army had Muslim soldiers as well. Christian missionaries were allowed to function in Tuticorin, Vellore and other areas. This gesture from the kings is quite noble and contrasting. Mughals often used coercion, heavy taxes and aggression to convert people to their faith. However the kings of Vijayanagara stood tall by their gesture of secularity and the Sanatana Dharma concept of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the whole world is family).

Contribution to Music, Literature and Arts

Vijayanagara kings held musicians in high esteem. Krishnadevaraya patronized Purandaradasa who eventually became one of the forefathers of Carnatic music. Around the same time,  Sri Annamacharya, another great composer produced hundreds of Kirthanas in Telugu at the Tirupati temple.  Interestingly, the term ‘Carnatic‘ originated from this time and place.
The poets, scholars and philosophers wrote in many languages such as Kannada, Telugu, Sanskrit and Tamil. Subjects included religion, biographies, music, grammar, poetry, medicine, mathematics etc. Most Sanskrit works were commentaries on Vedas or scripture, written by scholars such as Vidyaranya, Jayatirtha, Vyasatirtha and Sayanacharya. Krishnadevaraya himself wrote the celebrated Amuktamalyada – a work on Tamil poet-Goddess Andaal. Princess Gangadevi, the daughter-in-law of King Bukka I wrote the historical work, Madhura Vijaya.

Temple Architecture

The Vijayanagara style of architecture is a combination of the Chalukya, Hoysala, Pandya and Chola styles and is characterized by simplistic and serene art. The temples can be identified by ornate pillared halls and rayagopurams (towers) adorned with life-sized figures of gods and goddesses. Some of the temples constructed or rebuilt during this period are the Virupaksha Temple at Hampi, the Hazara Rama temple,  temples at Kolar, Kanakagiri, Sringeri  etc. in Karnataka. Also,  the temples of Tadpatri, Lepakshi, Ahobilam, Tirumala  and Srikalahasti (Andhra Pradesh) and Vellore, Kumbakonam, Kanchi and Srirangam (Tamil Nadu) are based on Vijayanagara architecture.

Krishnadevaraya

The most famous king of the Vijayanagara Empire is Krishnadevaraya. The  kingdom reached its peak glory during his reign. He put an end to the frequent raid and plunder of Vijayanagar by the Deccan sultans. The empire gained territory formerly under the Sultanates in addition to the already established presence in the South. Many important monuments were either completed or commissioned during the time of Krishnadevaraya. He was an accomplished Telugu scholar and wrote the celebrated Amuktamalyada (“One who wears and gives away garlands – Andal”). He also wrote a play called Jambavati Kalyanam in Sanskrit.

Krishnadevaraya respected all sects of Hinduism and lavished donations on the Tirumala Temple. He is honored for this with statues inside the temple complex. He patronized poets and scholars in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit.  His patronage resulted in the emergence of one of the foremost architects of Carnatic music, Purandara Dasa. 

Kumara Kampana

The history of Vijayanagara empire will not be complete without mentioning the exploits of Kumara Kampana. These are detailed in the epic book, ‘Madura Vijayam’ by Ganga Devi, the wife of Kumara Kampana and daughter-in-law of King Bukkaraya. Kumara Kampana was the son of king Bukkaraya and he led the successful invasion of Madurai Sultanate.

The book narrates how the Madurai Sultanate desecrated the Madurai temple.  Fortunately, the main idols were saved by the priests and devotees by building a wall over the sanctum and installing a fake idol in front. However,  several priests and innocent devotees were beheaded and the temple was defiled by throwing of beef and liquor inside. Several temples including the temple at Srirangam were facing the same fate.

It is around this time that Kumara Kamapana emerged as the savior. Step by step, he captured the nearby regions which bore allegiance to the sultanate. Eventually he reached the borders of the Sultanate and engaged in a fierce battle with the Sultan . Finally, using the sword of Goddess Durga that his wife Ganga Devi gave him, he severed the enemy’s head and brought an end to the Muslim tyranny in South India. The temple was rebuilt and re-consecrated much to the delight of all devotees. The Srirangam temple also reached its former glory.

The Aftermath

From then on, South India remained free of foreign invasions for several centuries protected by Kings who were followers of Sanathana Dharma. I shudder to think what would have happened to all the temples and followers of Sananthana Dharma if the Vijayanagar Empire did not emerge. We have to be eternally thankful to Kumara Kampana and all such kings of Vijayanagara and devotees who laid down their lives to preserve and protect Sanatana Dharma.

Dharmo Rakshati Rakshita:

More icons of Bharatavarsha