Dr. George Michell studied architecture at the University of Melbourne, and then pursued his interest in indian architecture by undertaking a Ph.D. thesis in Chalukya temples at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He has worked at Vijayanagara since 1980. Together with Dr. John Fritz, he has headed a team of Indian and foreign architects, archaeologists and photographers which has been systernatically docu-menting this great site. These volumes are the first in a series that provides a complete inventory of architectural and archaeological features of Vijayanagara.
In the past decade, the Government of Karnataka has taken up the project of Resurrection of Hampi in right earnest and through the Directorate of Archaeology & Museums excavated important architectural remains, conserved and restored several temples and structures. One of the important aspects envisaged under the project was the publication of the results of research. The Directorate has already published three volumes on the work done so far.
Dr. George Michell has worked in association with the Directorate for nearly a decade at Hampi. He was also responsible for the discovery of rare negatives of the monuments of Hampi, photographed in 1856, by Col. John Alexander Greenlaw. During his decade of devoted work at Hampi, Dr. Michell has documented the architectural remains in the Urban Core of the city of Vijayanagara with the permission of the Government of India. As originally decided by the Government of Karnataka, the Directorate of Archaeology & Museums, is now publishing this architectural inventory, in two volumes. The merit of this inventory is that, it provides an authentic record of architectural features as they existed at the time of survey and documentation. In fact during the decades to come, these two volumes will acquire the same value, as the photographic documentation done by Alexander Greenlaw during 1856.
We would like to commend the work done by Dr. George Michell and would like to congratulate the Directorate of Archaeology for publishing this permanent architectural record of one of the greatest historical cities of India - Vijayanagara.
Vijayanagara is perhaps the most extensive city of medieval period, archaeological evidence of which has been preserved intact. It offers to the scholars and archaeologists excellent opportu-nities to understand the pattern of a medieval city. The contemporary literary works in Kannada, Sanskrit and Telugu, as well as the graphic descriptions of contemporary foreign visitors help in unearthing the archaeological remains of the city Still, with all the data avail-able to understand this magnificent city, it had long been forgotten. Thanks to the foresight of Government of Karnataka, a massive project is being implemented since 1979 to bring to light the growth and development of this great city.
Physical Setting
Perhaps the most important feature of Vijaya-nagara's setting is the natural basin in which the city is located. Through this basin flows the Tungabhadra river in a northeasterly direction. To the north, rocky outcrops partly contain the river in a narrow gorge; elsewhere, these hills open up to define a wide valley through which the river and its branches flow. The rocks are of granite, and are split into the most astonishing shapes and piled high one upon the other to form steep hills with deep fissures. North of the river, this rocky landscape is intensified and there are fewer flat areas,
Overlooking the south bank of the river is a high rocky ridge with several elevated outcrops (such as Hemakuta and Matanga hills). This ridge, together with another that runs parallel to it further south, defines a richly irrigated valley. To the south are valleys bound by lower ridges and isolated outcrops (like Malyavanta hill). Gradually, these hills disappear altogether and the landscape becomes increasingly flat and open. This plain extends for several kilometers to the east, south and west, ultimately limited by further ridges (east and south) and the river (west).
Urban Zones
Though the river and the granite outcrops that surround the city undoubtedly provided effective protection for the capital, the landscape also demarcates its various zones. The significant physical transition from wild and rocky gorges to flat and open plains coincides with the different zones of the city, separated one from another by both natural and man-made features. We distin-guish three principal urban zones: (1) the sacred centre beside the Tungabhadra River; (2) the urban core containing the royal centre in the limited level areas; and (3) the sub-urban centres in the plains beyond.
Sacred Centre
This is the principal focus of religious activity at the site, and has a longer history than the capital itself. During the Vijayanagara period, however, many new temples were erected beside the river, on rocks and limited areas of level ground. The Virupaksha Temple in the village of Hampi is a living temple under worship. South of this complex rises Hemakuta hill, ringed by a circuit of fortification walls; here several, mostly pre-Vijayanagara period, shrines, columns and tanks are located.
Most of the great sixteenth-century temple projects at Vijayanagara are located in the sacred centre of the capital. These are distin-guished by their vast rectangular enclosures entered through towered gateways and approached by long colonnaded streets known as the bazars. Within the enclousres are shrines, altars, halls, porches, kitchens, stores, wells, tanks and other features. This is religious archi-tecture on a truly urban scale. Each temple complex is in itself the nucleus of a city quarter, and is accompanied by a series of subsidiary structures (tanks, aqueducts, walls, gateways, and even possibly residences, now ruined) and substantial areas of land.
Numerous small religious structures are also found in the sacred centre, some of which are temples with halls and porches, while others are simple shrines. Most of these are clustered along the south bank of river, or are elevated on rocky ledges and nearby hills. Probably the most dramatically sited temple is the Virabhadra shrine on the summit of Matanga hill. Associ ated with these temples are numerous sacred icons carved on boulders and rocky clefts; several of these are large-scale monoliths.
Hindu (909)
Agriculture (116)
Ancient (1050)
Archaeology (694)
Architecture (555)
Art & Culture (882)
Biography (651)
Buddhist (545)
Cookery (167)
Emperor & Queen (512)
Islam (239)
Jainism (276)
Literary (869)
Mahatma Gandhi (367)
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist