As rulers of the greatest empire of Southern India, the Vijayanagara kings consciously promoted religion and hence many cults were popular in the capital. The largest temple complexes are in the 'sacred centre' along the river Tungabhadra, in the proximity of which large ritual and residential settlements, called puras, developed in course of time. The area around the Virupaksha temple (Figure 1:1), the most important Shiva centre at the site, is known as Virupakshapura, while that around the Vitthala Temple (Figure 1:2) is called Vitthalapura.
In Vitthalapura (Figure 2), to the north-east of the Vitthala temple complex, is a fairly large south-facing temple, which stands within its own walled enclosure. It has a gopura on the south side where a chariot street begins and extends towards the south. This is the only temple in Vitthalapura, apart from the great Vitthala complex, which has both a gopura and a chariot street. This, together with the size and location of the building, indicates that it was once a shrine of importance.