Balakrishna Temple at Hampi

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The Balakrishna temple complex is one of the important temples of Vijayanagara period, popularly known as Krishna temple, situated in Krishnapura, on the way to Virupaksha temple from Kamalapur, facing east, dedicated to Vaishnava in the form of Balakrishna, constructed by emperor Krishnadevaraya in 1514 A.D., to commemorating the conquest of Udayagiri in Orissa. This temple is typically in Vijayanagara style and is one of the earliest temples of Tuluvas, built in 1514 A.D., to install the image of Balakrishna in 1515 A.D., when Krishnadevaraya had seized Udayagiri, during the course of his Orissan campaigns. The image of Balakrishna once enshrined in the garbhagriha is now shifted and exhibited in the State Government Egmore Museum at Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

The whole Balakrishna temple complex consists of a garbhagriha, an anti-chamber or sukhansi, an antarala or ardhamandapa surrounded by pradakshinapatha, a sabhamandapa or navaranga with mukhamandapa, mahamandapa, Amman shrine and other structures enclosed by high prakara wall with entrance gopuras.

The types of sculptures that were produced during the period in the Balakrishna Swamy temple, at Hampi, are varied. Sculptures of Siva in various manifestations both ugra and saumya forms, and also in symbolic representations formed an important group. His associates such as Ganesha, Karttikeya or Subramanya, Bhairava, etc., are also seen in good number. Minor gods like Hanuman, Garuda, Surya, and Naga are also well represented. Goddesses both Saivite and Vaishnavite are the other seen in various forms.

The book deals with Introduction and Historical Perspective of Vijayanagara dynasty; Religious Background and Characteristic Features of Vijayanagara Temples; Builders of the Temple and Architectural Description of the Temple Complex; and Salient Features of the Temple Sculptures and Iconography and Socio-Religious Institution.

Dr. K.M. Suresh (Born 1952) former Director (Museum) in the Kannada University, Hampi in Karnataka, obtained his M.A. from Karnataka University, Dharwad in 1974 and P.G. Diploma in Archaeology from Institute of Archaeology, Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi in 1986. He obtained Ph.D. Degree from Utkala University, Bhubaneswar, Orissa in 1992 on "Sculptural Art of Hampi", under the guidance of Late Prof. K.S. Behera, Department of History.

Since his inception in the Archaeological Survey of India from 1976 to 1996, he served in various capacities in the Archaeological Museums at Bijapur, Hampi, Aihole and Badami in Karnataka and Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh. He has been active field worker and excavator in the Excavations Branch IV of Archaeological Survey of India, Bhubaneswar in Orissa.

Dr. Suresh has published more than 18 books on Sculptures and Temples from Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, which includes Sculptural Art of Hampi; Saivite Sculptures of Khajuraho; The Iconography of Vishnu from Khajuraho; Kandariya Mahadeva Temple at Khajuraho; Karnataka Devalaya Kosha: Bellary District; Karnataka Devalaya Kosha: Koppala District; Temples of Hampi; Temples of Karnataka Vol.I & II; Archaeology of Hampi; Ramayana Sculptures from Hampi; Vijayanagara Sculptures at Hampi; Encyclopedia of Indian Architecture Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Islamic Vol. I, II, III & IV; Hemakuta-Recent Researches in Archaeology & Museology; Panchatantra - Recent Researches in Archaeology; Raghusmriti- Recent Researches in Archaeology.

He is member of many academic societies and guide to Ph.D. and M.Phil scholars in the Kannada University, Hampi and examiner for other Universities. He is UGC Expert Committee Member for Museology and Conservation and Archaeology and also Expert Committee Member for History and Archaeology.

During my service as a Curator (Technical Assistant) in the Archaeological Museum of the Archaeological Survey of India at Kamalapura from 1978 to 1983, 1 got an opportunity to make an in-depth study of Iconography and Temples of the Vijayanagara period from circa 1336 to 1600 A.D. This course leads me to the documentation of a good quantum of information and detailed notes on Sculptural Art and Balakrishna Swamy Temple at Hampi. After coming to Kannada University, Hampi, from Archaeological Survey of India, 1 could complete the documentation of a sculptures and temple complex in detail and able to present in the book form.

The Balakrishna temple is situated in the Krishnapura, on the way Virupaksha temple from Kamalapur, facing east, dedicated to Vaishnava in the form of Balakrishna, constructed by emperor Krishnadevaraya in 1514 A.D., to commemorating the conquest of Udayagiri in Orissa. This temple is typically in Vijayanagara style and plan and is one of the earliest temples of Tuluvas, built in 1514 A.D., to install the image of Balakrishna, on 16", February 1515 A.D., when Krishnadevaraya had seized Udayagiri, during the course of his Orissan campaigns. The inscription kept in the temple records the commemorating the conquest of Udayagiri by Krishnadevaraya and the installation of Balakrishna image, brought from Uadayagiri. The image of Balakrishna once enshrined in the garbhagriha is now shifted and exhibited in the State Governmen Egmore Museum at Chennai in Tamil Nadu.