Musafir

The Krishna Temple Complex is the first of the series of temples in the Sacred Enclosure. There is a gateway near the temple to enter the main village.

The large and ornate, East facing temple, was consecrated with an icon of Balakrishna, bought from Udayagiri (Orissa), by Krishnadevaraya, as indicated in an inscription dated 1513 A.D

The temple complex built in Panchayatana style with two enclosures, has the main shrine with the sanctum, a vestibule, pillared pavilions and halls, a Devi shrine and many sub shrines. In addition there is a kitchen towards the southeast of the main shrine, and a separate store, housed within the first enclosure to the southwest.

The grand towered Eastern gateway is an outstanding example of Vijayanagara architecture. The temple walls are carved with depictions of the Bhagavata, the Puranic story of Lord Krishna, and the life of the times. The pillars of the Mahamantapa has sculpted depictions of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu.

Once we go through the main gopura inside, we see the main temple directly in front and a smaller shrine to the right. A corridor runs around the various shrines and there is a kitchen at the far end. It is said that free food was provided in the temple every day to the poor and needy from the temple kitchen.

Just before the main temple, there is a dhwajasthamba (the temple mast) at which,  there is an idol of Garuda, the carrier of Lord Vishnu. Confirming to the Vijayanagara architecture, the entrance of the temple is guarded by Elephants and Crocodiles.

The temple is full of pillars with idols of gods carved on them. The most notable part of all is the ceiling in the small hall before the inner sanctum. It’s carved with elegant designs and even though it has turned black due to centuries of wear and tear, it showcases the talent of the craftsmen. The ceiling is carved in two circles. The outer circle is carved with dancing women and the inner circle with peacocks. In the middle is a small protrusion.

The inner sanctum is empty and the only thing remaining is a pedestal on which the idol had once been placed. As mentioned earlier, there is a very old inscription on one of the stones. It is written in Sanskrit with Kannada script and is very clear even after centuries. The Krishna temple depicts the grandeur of the Vijayanagar empire in its true form.

Just outside the Krishna temple is the Krishna Bazaar. It is similar to the Hampi Bazaar and you can find the similar kind of constructions. Seeing the temple and bazaar, one can easily understand that it is one of the most important places or worship during then.

From here, we proceed to The Badavilinga and The Lakshmi Narasimha shrines.