Q. Consider the following statements regarding the features and history of the Virupaksha Temple at Hampi:
1.It is situated on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra River within Karnataka and is part of a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
2.The temple has remained continuously operational without interruption since its establishment around the 7th century AD.
3.The main architectural complex was built during the Bijapur dynasty period to serve as an administrative repository.
4.The temple architecture incorporates advanced optical engineering, projecting an inverted pinhole camera image of its main tower onto an inner wall.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: C
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct: The Virupaksha (or Pampapathi) temple is located at Hampi, Karnataka, along the banks of the Tungabhadra River. It is a key element of the ‘Group of Monuments at Hampi’, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1886.
- Statement 2 is correct: It is celebrated as one of the oldest functioning temple complexes in India, keeping its sacred sanctuary operational since its modest 7th-century origin.
- Statement 3 is incorrect: It was systematically expanded across centuries by pre-colonial dynasties, including the Chalukyas, Hoysalas, and notably the Vijayanagara Empire under rulers like Deva Raya II and Krishnadevaraya.
- Statement 4 is correct: The building displays early mastery of physical concepts. Light passing through a small slit in the structural masonry acts as a natural pinhole camera, casting an inverted shadow image of the massive eastern gopuram onto an internal wall.
