PATTABHIRAMA TEMPLE, HAMPI
INTRODUCTION
There is an ancient Sri Pattabhirama Temple situated in Hampi, Karnataka, and this temple is rich in art and architecture, similar to the Konark Sun God Temple and this temple is dedicated to Lord Rama. This marvellous temple was built by the Vijayanagar Kings, and it acts as a major symbol of our ancient Hindu Architecture.
Though the Pattabhirama Temple is considered as a popular temple, and though it contains lot of good features, but only lesser number of pilgrims visits this temple during normal days, but during festival days, we can find a small crowd of devotees who gather in the temple.
Beautiful sculptures of the deities are inscribed in the walls and pillars of the temple, and some wonderful paintings of the deities are also found inside the temple complex, which adds more beauty to this temple.
Apart from the main Shrine of Lord Rama, there is one more shrine located in the temple, and the deity present in the shrine is none other than our Holy Mother Sita, who is the incarnation of Bhudevi, the earth goddess. This temple is one of the ancient, largest and most attractive temples in Hampi.
The Pattabhirama Temple contains great beauty, and those who enter inside the temple would get great peace of mind, they would forget their mental worries, and they would get good spiritual pleasure. The ancient Virupaksha and Vitthala temples are also located some few kilometres away from this wonderful temple of Bhagavan Sri
Rama. Pattabirama is a most popular form of Lord Rama, since in this form he appears in the form of a King, since he ruled the kingdom of Ayodhya prosperously for a few thousand years in the Treta Yuga.
Among the various avatars of Lord Vishnu, his Rama avatar is considered as very popular, since the holy Lord Rama, didn’t exhibit his powers in normal situations, but used it only occasionally. He is also still praised by his devotees, since he has given salvation to all of his Ayodhya people, and even now it is believed that those who sincerely
chants the Rama Nama for several Lakh of times, would be relieved from the chain of re-births, and they would definitely attain salvation after their death.
“JAI SRIRAM”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR