The process of creation

It is common knowledge that Purandara Dasa (1484-1564) spent a fairly long time in Hampi or Vijayanagar, the capital of the Vijayanagar Kingdom.

Purandara Dasa was a close and favourite disciple of Vyasa Raja who was the royal preceptor of six Vijayanagar Emperors, including Krishna Deva Raya (1509-1530). Wherever Vyasa Raja went, Purandara too went.

When at Hampi, Purandara Dasa composed his poems and sang on the glories of Vittala from the Purandara Mantapa located amid the Tungabhadra. He also visited along with Vyasa Raja and others the now ruined Vijaya Vittala or Vittala temple.

This temple has played a major role in the emergence of the Dasa Sahitya and Sangeeta as Purandara Dasa is believed to have taken inspiration from this magnificent structure and the Vittala idol  to compose thousands of his songs. (Purandara Dasa is believed to have composed 4,75,000 songs).

The beautiful Vijaya Vittala temple, which had been embellished by several Emperors over a period of time, the Purandara Mantapa nearby, the fast flowing Tungabhadra and the incredible stone chariot that stands in the courtyard of the temple gave Purandara Dasa the necessary inspiration to compose some of his most famous songs.

We could not be too far away from the mark if we said that the process of literary creation for Purandara Dasa commenced from within this temple. What adds strength to this argument is that the temple even today displays evidence of  Madhwa influence.

All the Haridasas were Madhwas and so was Purandara Dasa who was a great devotee of Purandara Vittala. Since Pandrapur was several hundred kilometers from Hampi, Purandara Dasa frequented this temple and idolised the Vittala in innumerable compositions.

The temple was originally built in the 15th century and successive kings, including Krishna Deva Raya, Achuta Deva Raya and Aliya Rama Raya have added to the temple’s architecture by adding to the present form.

Even today, we can see the remains of a locality or township called Vittalapura that existed around this temple. Though the township is gone, the ruins are in place. We can also see the influence that Purandara Dasa wielded on the literary and musical field of Vijayanagar when we visit the temple.         

The pillared hall of the Vijaya Vittala Temple, which is known all over the world for producing musical notes, was constructed by Udayagiri Thimmaraju, a relative of Aliya Ramaraya and a follower of Sri Vaishnava tradition. Thimmaraju built the pillared hall as per the instructions of his guru Kandade Bhuvanacharya of Srirangam.

There are records to prove that the maha ranga mantapa built by  Krishnadevaraya at  Virupaksha temple, was taken as a model for constructing this pillared hall.

The pillared hall has scores of sculptures and many of them are dedicated to Narasimha.In one of the pillars we can still see sculpted images of  Sri Krishna Leela, Purandara Vittala and Purandara Dasa.

There are many sculptures in this hall that will remind us of the compositions of this great Dasa. The exquisitely carved sculptures of  Narasimha reminds us of several compositions where he has written about this God, an avatar of Vishnu.

There are several compositions where Purandara Dasa has referred to Krishna leelas. The sculpture on Kalinga mardhana also reminds us of this Dasa’s compositions on the incident.

Apart from these carvings, there are a number of inscriptions referring to Vyasa Raja or Vyasa Theertha, the Rajguru.

There is also an inscription in front of the Yoga Varada Narasimha Temple which is said to have been built by Vyasa Raja.

Vyasa Raja stayed in Hampi during his last days and he left the world in 1534. Purandara Dasa was a witness to the entombment of the venerable Vyasa Raja at Nava Brindavana, a few kilometers down the Vijaya Vittala temple.

As far as Purandara Dasa is concerned, he stayed at the Purandara Mantapa after the passing away of Vyasa Raja and composed several hundred devaranamas. He is believed to have passed away at the Purandara Mantapa in 1564.  

Apart from the Vijaya Vittala temple, there are several other temples that were the cradle of Haridasa sahitya. Unfortunately, many of those temples have been vandalised and completely destroyed by the Muslim Deccan states in 1565. Only a few like the Vijaya Vittala and Virupaksha, Hazari Rama remain.   

The Purandara mantapa today has a small statue of Purandara Dasa with the tamburi, a classical music instrument. The pavilion is used to celebrate many religious festivals even today.

The Vijaya Vittala temple and the stone chariot are major tourist attractions of Hampi. They are situated northeast of Hampi and just opposite the village of Anegondi.

The road leading to the temple was once a market where horses from Arabia and Portugal were traded. Even today, we can see the ruins of the market on both the sides of the road. Interestingly, the temple contains carvings of foreigners selling horses.

It is very fitting that the temple is the venue of the annual Purandara Dasa festival which attracts thousands of  music lovers and students.

Where is the throne of Vijayanagar

It is common knowledge that after the Battle of Talikota in 1565, the Muslim forces of the Deccan set upon Vijayanagar or Hampi and destroyed the city, burnt down the buildings and killed and looted people and their homes.

The Muslim invaders carried back hundreds of tonnes of valuables, books, articles and even people as slaves. However, some part of the immense treasure of  Vijayanagar was carted away to Penugonda by Tirumala Raya who made it the capital of Vijayanagar dynasty.

However, some treasures still continue to elude discovery and it is a mystery what happened to them. The Muslim accounts do not mention them as having been taken away or destroyed. Yet, there are records, both Indian and foreign, to prove that these treasures existed.

One such treasure is the magnificent throne of Vijayanagar on which Krishna Deve Raya sat as did other kings. This throne has been adequately described by Portuguese travellers and even in the accounts of Vijayanagar by Indian authors, including the Adil Shah envoy to Vijayanagar.

The Portuguese and Adil Shah envoys speak of the King’s Durbar and also of the Dharmic durbar. If Krishna Deve Raya presided over the former Vyasa Raja held court in the later. The Vijayanagar throne was a befitting seat for one of the greatest Emperors of the time.

It was a silver  throne and embellished with gems and other rare stones. It was placed on a raised platform in the durbar hall where the Emperor held court wherever he was in Vijayanagar.

Soon after the battle of Talikota, the Vijayanagar forces abandoned the city to its fate and fled.  Gangs of robbers and bandits took away whatever they could. A little later, the Muslim invaders came to Vijayanagar and took away whatever they could lay their hands on.

Yet, some prized articles eluded them and one of them was the throne of Vijayanagar. Historians now have come to believe that the throne is in Vijayanagar albeit in another form.

They saw when the royal family fled Vijayanagar in 1565, they gifted the throne for safe keeping to the Virupaksha Temple, hoping to return one day. Alas, this never happened and Vijayanagar remained a dead city centuries after the Talikota battle.

A historian from Andhra Pradesh, Dr. K. Krishna Rao, who is an authority on  Krishnadevaraya, and who has made films and written on Vijayanagar, has opined that the throne is very much in Hampi.

Dr. Rao claims to have seen the throne at the Virupaksha temple. Dr Rao and other historians say that Krishna Deve Raya and some other kings were coronated in the temple. Krishna Deve Raya was coronated on August 7, 1509.

The throne is of pure silver and it has several engravings on it. The throne is presently being used by the priests of the Virupaksha Temple to place the consort of Virupaksha on it. This view needs to be given a thought as unlike other temples, the Muslim invaders spared it to a large extent.

Now this view needs to answer another question If the throne of Krishna Deve Raya is at Virupaksha Temple, what about the throne in Mysore. This is a rare gold encrusted throne with engravings and this too was in the hands of the Vijayanagar Emperors. Why would they not use this but use the Silver throne?

Moreover, the throne was gifted to the Viceroy of Srirangapatna by the Vijayanagar emperors, Would they gift a much bigger costlier and more expensive throne than their own.

All we know is that the Mysore throne was in Anegundi, which the second capital of the Vijayanagars. What can be guessed is that the Vijayanagar Emperors used several thrones and the Mysore throne was one of them. But what happened to the rest. This still remains a mystery.

By the way, there is an original portrait of Krishna Deve Raya in the museum of Bharat Samshodana Mandal in Pune, Maharashtra. This portrait is drawn by Domingo Paes, the Portuguese traveller who was in the court of Krishne Deve Raya.

It is not only the throne of Vijayanagar that has become an object of mystery. India has several other thrones which have fired the imagination of the people and historians alike.

Some of them are the legendary throne of Vikramaditya is the stuff of legends. It is the basis for the stories of Vikram and Betal.

A stone throne of  Vikramaditya exists in Ujjain near a lake. It is still called the Vikramaditya seat.

Another throne with a hoary past in the Golden Throne of the Wodeyars. This throne is the personal property of the Wodeyars and it is open to the public only during the Dassara. This is when the ruling scion of the Wodeyars sits on the throne and conducts a private durbar. This is perhaps the most costly and most jewelled throne of India.

The Peacock Throne used by the Mughals was taken away by Nadir Shah when he plundered Delhi in 1739. The then Mughal Emperor, Muhammad Shah, helplessly watched as the marauding Shah took away the throne to Persia. The throne disappeared from view after Nadir Shah was assassinated in 1747.  The throne of Ranjit Singh has been carted away by the British and it is in the British Museum in UK. However, we still can see two thrones belonging to the Mughals.

One of the thrones is an inbuilt structure in Red Fort Delhi. It is in Diwan-I Am and it is built in marble surrounded with engravings and minature paintings. The ceremonial steps and royal marble throne in Jaisalmer fort is worth a visit.

Another throne of the Mughals is in the Topkapi palace in Istanbul, Turkey. This is a four legged throne in gold and it was gifted by Nadir Shah to the Ottoman Emperor. 

The throne of Tipu is believed to have been dismantled by the British who shared the booty.  In Jodhpur, you can still see the marble throne of the royal family. There is a throne made of sandalwood in Bikaner. It is on display in the Bikaner fort, Rajasthan.

Another Indian throne which is on display abroad belongs to Orissa. Only one part of the ivory throne remains and this part is delicately carved. It belongs to the 13^th century and could have belonged to the Gajapathis. It is on display at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, USA.