One of the striking features of the Virupaksha temple, the most important living religious establishments in Hampi village (Hospet taluk, Bellary District), is the painted ceiling of the open pillared hall (maharanga-mandapa) abutting the main sanctuary. This hall was built in 1509/1510 by the order of Krishnadeva Raya (SII, IV, No. 258) and the general consensus among scholars is that these paintings are roughly contemporary with the building. However, after a careful examination of these frescos and the study of murals at eighteenth and nineteenth century sites in Andhra and Karnataka, it is necessary to re-assess their date.1
- 1. See chapter on paintings in Dellapiccola et al., forthcoming