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An Imperial Capital : Vijayanagara
What do you think was the significance of the rituals associated with the Mahanavami dibba?
The Mahanavami Dibba was the king’s palace in Vijayanagara though there is no definite evidence. It had a distinctive structure. It had the largest enclosures. It had a very impressive platform called as “the audience hall.” It was surrounded by high double walls with a street running between them. There were many rituals associated with the Mahanavami dibba. Literally the Mahanavami meant the great ninth day of the ten-day Hindu festival during the autumn months of September and October. This period had Dussehra in the northern India, Durga Pooja in Bengal and Navaratri or Mahanavami in peninsular India. The rulers ofVijayanagara displayed their power, prestige and suzerainty on this occasion.
The ceremonies performed on this occasion included:
(i) Worship of the image.
(ii) Worship of the state horse.
(iii) The sacrifice of buffaloes and other animals.
(iv) The main attractions of this occasion were :
(a) Dances
(b) Wrestling matches.
(c) Processions of caparisoned horses, elephants, chariots and soldiers.
All these ceremonies had deep symbolic meanings. Most of them were presented before the king and his guests. On the last day of the festival, the king inspected his army as well as the armies of the nayakas. He also accepted rich gifts from the nayakas. There was a grand ceremony in an open field.
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Fig. 7.33 is an illustration of another pillar from the Virupaksha temple. Do you notice any floral motifs? What are the animals shown? Why do you think they are depicted? Describe the human figures shown.
Discuss whether the term “royal centre” is an appropriate description for the part of the city for which it is used
What does the architecture of buildings like the Lotus Mahal and elephant stables tell us about the rulers who commissioned them?
What are the architectural traditions that inspired the architects of Vijayanagara? How did they transform these traditions?
What impression of the lives of the ordinary people of Vijayanagara can you cull from the various descriptions in the chapter?
On an outline map of the world, mark approximately Italy, Portugal, Iran and Russia.Trace the routes the travellers mentioned on p.176 would have taken to reach Vijayanagara.
Find out more about any one of the major cities which flourished in the subcontinent during c. fourteenth-seventeenth centuries. Describe the
architecture of the city. Are there any features to suggest that these were political centres? Are there buildings that were ritually significant? Is there
an area for commercial activities? What are the features that distinguish the urban layout from that of surrounding areas?
Give a brief description of Lotus Mahal, situated in the Royal Centre in the Vijayanagara empire.
Mention two characteristic features of the temple complexes in Vijayanagara.
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