The Virabhadra Temple in Lepakshi is Consecrated

Located in Lepakshi in present-day Andhra Pradesh, India, the Virabhadra Temple dedicated to the warrior form of the Hindu deity Shiva is completed. Apart from its extensive sculptural ornamentation and large statues of Nandi and a seven-headed serpent, it is particularly significant for its ceiling murals.

Remaining well-preserved to the present-day, the murals will be uniquely valuable as they not only feature mythological narratives, but also document the social and religious life of the period. The characters’ costumes, jewellery and headgear, particularly the patterned fabric and drapery styles of saris will provide useful information on Vijayanagara material culture. The murals also reveal associations with the Islamic world and suggest that Vijayanagara fashion drew from a pool of syncretic sources. This will be corroborated by written testimonies from Persian, Chinese, Portuguese and Italian travellers about the costumes of the Vijayanagara elite. Stylistically, the Virabhadra murals will be the basis for Kalamkari designs, rendered on painted fabric originally used as temple tapestries, and in subsequent centuries, a major export primarily to Southeast Asia.