Achyuta Raya Temple

Believed to have been built during King Achyuta Deva Raya (1530-1542) by an officer Salakaraju Tirumaladeva, this temple, though not as large or beautiful as Vitthala Temple, is still a beautiful and sizeable monument. Though dedicated to Thiruvengalanatha or Lord Venkateshwara, the temple is known by the King under whose reign it was built.

It is one of the must-visit places when in Hampi primarily because of the breath-taking views. Yet very few visitors check it out though it is right across the hill from Virupaksha Temple.

Unlike the other temple complexes, this temple complex has two enclosures, each marked by an entrance Gopura. The main temple is situated within the second enclosure. Opposite to the temple is the shrine for Garuda, the celestial bird and the vehicle of Vishnu. To the south west of the temple is a shrine for Devi. Running around the inner courtyard is the pillared cloister. The Kalyana Mantapa is located in the northwestern corner of the outer enclosure. Like all major temple complexes, this temple complex was also provided with a Kalyana Mantapa where the annual marriage ceremony of the deity was conducted. The slender pillars of this Mantapa bear dexterously carved bas relief. The basement of the Kalyana Mantapa is richly decorated with the relief of elephants.

The main deity in the temple is missing and the Garbha Griha (sanctum) of the temple is standing on pillars put in place in the recent past by Archaeology Department to support the dilapidated structure from further deterioration. Very typical of the Vijayanagara Architecture, the temple and the Kalyana Mantapa pillars pose as if being supported by mythical Yalis. The temple pillars also have carvings of tales and episodes from Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Even though Achyuta Raya Temple is a protected monument by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), it is not a ticketed monument and entry to the temple is free. The monument does have description board from ASI mentioning the history and significance of the temple.

Achyuta Raya Temple can only be reached by foot as vehicular traffic is not permitted from any sides. There are three prominent routes to reach Achyuta Raya Temple two of which are from Virupaksha Temple and one from Vijaya Vitthala Temple. We have provided the details below for visitors’ benefit.

Eduru Basavanna (also spelt as Yeduru Basavanna) is a large monolithic statue of the bull also known by the name Nandi. This bull is Lord Shiva’s vahana (vehicle) and is generally found in Shiva temples facing towards the inner sanctum. Virupaksha Temple being dedicated to Lord Shiva and Virupaksha being another name for Shiva, it has several Nandi or Basavanna statues within the temple complex.

Eduru Basavanna (marked as marker C in the map above) is situated outside the Virupaksha Temple and about 700 metres eastwards from the temple tower at the foot of Matanga Hill. A short climb and crossing over the hill, you get a majestic and almost birds-eye view of Achyuta Raya Temple.

While the ascent at Eduru Basavanna side of the hill has neatly rock-cut steps, the descent on Achyuta Raya Temple side is not so easy as these are not neatly laid down steps. It is a rough terrain passing through pedestrian route formed by trekkers. This route can pose some hardships to very young kids, aged people with heart conditions and knee problems. Estimated walking distance from eastern end of Virupaksha Bazaar is about ~1.2km.

Kodanda Rama temple, reached through the Kampa Bhoopa pathway besides Virupaksha Bazaar is relatively easier than Route 1 above but is seasonal in nature due to possible submersion of some stretch of the path by river Tungabhadra. Please check our page dedicated to Kodanda Rama Temple for further details about this route.

Achyuta Raya Temple is about half kilometer from Kodanda Rama Temple (Kodanda Rama Temple is marked with marker A in the picture above) by foot. The terrain is largely flat and easy to walk. You walk along the Courtesan Street or the Achyuta Raya Temple’s Bazaar. Do not expect any shops in this stretch as commercial activities are not permitted due to the temple being a protected monument.

Before you consider taking this route, read our exhaustive coverage on how to visit Vijaya Vitthala Temple. 

Achyuta Raya Temple (marked at the bottom of the image above) is about 1.6km from Vijaya Vitthala Temple and the entire distance needs to be covered via foot due to moderate terrain. This short walk is along the banks of river Tungabhadra at a safe distance and provides a beautiful view and you have several monuments like King’s Balance and Sugriva’s Cave that you can check along the way.

Virupaksha Temple, Yeduru Basvanna, Temples atop Matanga Hill, Kodanda Rama Temple, Suryanarayana Temple, Yantroddharaka Anjaneya Temple, Sri Raghunandana Teertha Moola Brindavana, Sugriva’s Cave, Ancient Stone Bridge, Purandara Mantapa.