Hampi Tour - Lakshmi Narasimha Temple

 This is a continuation of the previous post - Day three of the Hampi Tour.After the Krishna Temple our place of visit was the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple.When we were in front of the huge monolith of Lakshmi Narasimha we were awestruck & spell bound. This magnificent monolithic statue is the fourth reincarnation of Lord Vishnu and stands at a height of 6.7 metres.This is one of the finest examples of Vijayanagara architecture.Narasimha is seated on the giant coils of the celestial snake God Adisesha - the sacred guardian snake of Vishnu, its seven hoods acting as a canopy arched by a Kirtimukha Torana in front.The roof of the chamber enshrining the statue is missing which has led to considerable weathering & damage to the monolith.The four arms of the statue with its various attributes have been broken and the seated figure of his consort Lakshmi on his left lap is missing. The presence of the right hand of his consort Lakshmi embracing the Lord at the back is proof of this being Lakshmi Narasimha. The statue was consecrated by royal priest Krishnabhatta at the behest of King Krishnadevaraya in 1528 AD as per lithic record nearby.