Ramayana
Historical background
One of the two great Sanskrit epics of India, the other being the Mahabharata. In its present form the epic consists of disparate elements, including romantic stories, myths, legends and vague historical information.
Date: First half of the 19th century
Description: Top row (from left): Rama wins Sita’s hand; Rama and Sita’s wedding; Arjuna shoots the matsya yantra (revolving fish target), thus winning Draupadi’s hand.
Central row: Battle scenes involving chariots drawn by horses, bullocks and elephants, and infantry armed with muskets. Bottom row (from left): Krishna steals the clothes of the gopis; The Vidyaranya is taken in procession to the Virupaksha temple.
Location: Karnataka Temple;Virupaksha Temple;Hampi
Positioning: Open mandapa, ceiling, sixth, seventh and eighth row from west
Date: First half of the 19th century
Description: Rama, flanked by Janaka and Sita wins the archery contest. Two couples flank the main tableau. The seven rishis are shown in the vignettes on the left and the right. Celestial beings and rishis inhabit the five buildings at the top of the composition. Beneath the main scene is a lying figure, possibly Ravana. According to some re-tellings of the epic, he was among the princes present at the archery contest and fainted when Rama won.
Location: Karnataka Temple;Virupaksha Temple;Hampi
Positioning: Open mandapa, ceiling, sixth register from west
Date: First half of the 19th century
Description: Rama and Sita’s wedding. On the left Sita accompanied by Janaka and his wife, on the right Rama; Dasharatha and Kausalya. Flanking the main tableau, on the left are Vasishtha and Janaka’s court chaplain, Shatananda; on the right, one of Dasharatha’s other queens (?) and Vishvamitra. Rows of courtly figures and rishis in buildings enliven the upper portion of the composition. The lower part accommodates four male courtly figures and eight ascetics. Their different attires indicate the various orders they belong to.
Location: Karnataka Temple;Virupaksha Temple;Hampi
Positioning: Open mandapa, ceiling, sixth row from west
Date: First half of the 16th century
Description: A guard leans on his staff outside a building in which a seated figure, possibly Kausalya, converses with two female attendants. Four ladies stand in attendance.
Location: Andhra Pradesh Temple;Virabhadraswamy Temple;Lepakshi
Positioning: Mahamandapa, west porch ceiling, central bay top row
Date: First half of the 16th century
Description: A hall in which the putrakameshti yajna (ritual in order to obtain a son) is taking place. Dasharatha and his three queens face Rishyashringa who officiates along a number of rishis.
Location: Andhra Pradesh Temple;Virabhadraswamy Temple;Lepakshi
Positioning: Mahamandapa, west porch ceiling, central bay, top row
Date: First half of the 16th century
Description: The rishis perform the putrakameshti yajna (ritual to obtain a son).
Location: Andhra Pradesh Temple;Virabhadraswamy Temple;Lepakshi
Positioning: Mahamandapa, west porch ceiling, central bay, top row
Date: First half of the 16th century
Description: Two pregnant queens in their apartment.
Location: Andhra Pradesh Temple;Virabhadraswamy Temple;Lepakshi
Positioning: Mahamandapa, west porch ceiling, central bay, middle row
Date: First half of the 16th century
Description: King Dasharatha divides the payasa among his three queens. A pregnant queen in her apartment.
Location: Andhra Pradesh Temple;Virabhadraswamy Temple;Lepakshi
Positioning: Mahamandapa, west porch ceiling, central bay, middle row
Date: First half of the 16th century
Description: Though partly disappeared, this may depict Rishyashringa handing the vessel containing the payasa (sweetmeat) to Vasishtha.
Location: Andhra Pradesh Temple;Virabhadraswamy Temple;Lepakshi
Positioning: Mahamandapa, west porch ceiling, central bay, middle row
Date: First half of the 16th century
Description: The queens and their children in a building, with a guard leaning on a staff at the entrance.
Location: Andhra Pradesh Temple;Virabhadraswamy Temple;Lepakshi
Positioning: Mahamandapa, west porch ceiling, central bay, bottom row
Date: First half of the 16th century
Description: The four princes armed with bows and arrows stand near Dasharatha, who is seated together with a group of ascetics.
Location: Andhra Pradesh Temple;Virabhadraswamy Temple;Lepakshi
Positioning: Mahamandapa, west porch ceiling, central bay, bottom row
Date: First half of the 16th century
Description: Vishvamitra, Rama and Lakshmana depart for the forest. The rest of the panel has disappeared.
Location: Andhra Pradesh Temple;Virabhadraswamy Temple;Lepakshi
Positioning: Mahamandapa, west porch ceiling, central bay, bottom row
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