Vishnu Gudi near Kodandarama Devastana, Hampi

One of the many shrines dedicated to Vishnu, this is situated at the end of courtesan's path which connects Achyuthraya Devastana and Varaha Devastana. In fact it is a stone's throw away from Varaha Devastana. Just behind it is a massive rock formation on which sits Hastagiri Ranganataha Devastana which can be seen in the background in below picture. The temple is a kind of semi-open, meaning the Sabhamantapa is sans walls. It has a tall Mukha Mantapa with a brick and mortar crown.

A closer shot of the crown.

Just below the mantapa's ceiling is a niche with a damaged mural of Anatashayana. The upper body above the waist is missing, same for the attendants. I think this is an incomplete project since there are slabs lying on the dirt floor.

This is the open Sabha Mantapa with a central four-pillared Ranga manatapa. Between the Mukha Mantapa and Sabha Mantapa is short sculpted pillar with a young chubby character which seems like Krishna holding butter in the right hand and dancing with joy. On the side faces are Vishnu'd symbols- Shankha & Chakra.

Up above is the damaged damaged image, down below is the image of Anatashayana sculpted on the natural stone. This is a nice little touch for this unique temple.

A closer look at Anantashayana. Vishnu is reclining on Adisesa. I've visited this temple three times, once each with Pushpa, Sridhar and Deepak, in that order. When Sridhar saw this image, he climbed up the platform, touched it both hands and remarked "olle kelsa madtidiya."

A diagonal view of the pillared Sabha Mantapa.

This is Deepak here. The three doorways open to one wide hall which happens to be the vestibule  (Antharala) connecting the Sabha Mantapa and Garbhagudi.

The slabs flanking the middle doorway carry inscriptions, not sure if they are Kannada or Telegu script. If you look beyond the doorway, the sanctum door can be seen.

Stepping into the Antharala (vestibule) the sanctum area comes into view. This temple was meant to have three sanctums hence this would be a Trikutachala. The middle and left sanctum are almost done but the right sanctum is incomplete. There are a lot of clues that indicate this project was abandoned before completion. Probably the construction ceased when Vijayanagara fell to enemy hands.

In the middle sanctum is the deity Vishnu sculpted on a rock. Flanking Vishnu are his consorts.

This is one of the noteworthy temples of Hampi but it is kind of neglected. To my knowledge there's no description board like most temples have.

It seems people of Hampi held Anantashayana close to their hearts. There's one more sculpture a short distance from here but reaching it can be little challenging since it's situated in the rocky shore at Chakrathirta. Also, one has to see the massive Anantashayana Gudi even though there's no deity there.

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Anantashayana near Sahasralinga, Hampi

To say that Hampi is a Nature's maze, a maze of rock formations. In this maze are hidden countless sculptures. During the peak of Vijayanagara Samrajya, Hampi was one of the most wealthiest cities on our planet. The empire and it's subjects prospered under the able administration of Vijayanagara kings. It is said that jewelry & gems were sold in open markets like vegetables & grains. Besides economic growth Hampi was also a cultural center, all types of artists were under the patronage of state and private citizens. One can say that sculptors were among the foremost going by the sheer number of sculptures at Hampi. Well, it's not just Hampi. Temples, shelters and water-tanks were constructed across the kingdom, especially between Hampi and Tirumala hills. To name a few, the ruins at Penukonda, Gummanayakana Kote, Cuddapah, etc. go back to Vijayanagara times.

Between Feb 1996 and Feb 2025, I've visited Hampi & Anegundi seven or eight times. Only after four visits a map of the monuments started forming in my mind. Now I'm more or less familiar with the locations and routes snaking through the ruins. Yet, I haven't seen all the monuments. With every visit I've been discovering new spots. I have to mention about an accidental discovery of a prehistoric painting in a cavern near Chakra Thirta.

Feb 29th. Deepak and I were determined to reach the Sahasralinga that morning which we did. We also discovered a shrine hidden amongst the boulders next to the waters of Tungabhadra. The effort of clambering over rocks was a lot and we needed a break. We climbed up to a mantapa which gave a wonderful view of the boulders and river. To our left, down below was the relief image Vishnu lying on Adisesa the serpent. The image is approximately six feet wide and four feet high. Flanking Anatashayana are Hanuman and Garuda. 

People coming to see Sahasralinga also come to see Ananatashayana. To the upper left of the image is a plant. Right next to that plant is one Sahasralinga and, a few feet away is the other Sahasralinga. In the background are Kodandarama Gudi, Mantapa and Yantrodharaka Hanuman Gudi.

A closer look at Anantashayana. It seems people of Vijayanagara had great love and devotion for Vishnu, particularly his sleeping form. There are several images of Anantashayana in Hampi, for example the one near Kodandarama Gudi. Also one of the largest temples of Hampi is dedicated to Anatashayana which is located between Kamalapur and Hosapete.

That's the mantapa where we rested.

Besides the mantap is another ruined domed structure which was a temple a long time ago. Besides the domed structure is a relief sculpture of Lakshmi-Narasimha, the form where Lakshmi is seen accompanying Vishnu's fourth avatar Narasimha.

This is a miniature of the huge Lakshmi-Narasimha Murthy near Sri Krishna Devastana.

After resting at the mantapa we trek in the river's direction and head towards the cave with prehistoric painting.

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