Indian Columbus

Pala Venkatramana Swamy Gopuram and the Silent Tank of Penukonda Remnants of a Temple Town’s Golden Past Penukonda, once the second capital of the mighty Vijayanagara Empire, is a layered palimpsest of history, faith, and forgotten glory. Amidst its crumbling ramparts and scattered shrines, two starkly contrasting yet equally evocative structures stand out,  a towering 4-tiered gopuram , the last surviving witness of the Pala Venkatramana Swamy Temple , and the massive granite water tank  that served the town's sacred and secular needs. The Tower Without a Temple The gopuram, built in the characteristic Vijayanagara style , rises elegantly with its four diminishing tiers, each defined by ornate pilasters, miniature shrines, and decorative moldings. Though the temple it once crowned no longer survives, the gopuram remains stoic its weathered stucco work and granitic base telling tales of devotional fervor and royal, patronage. This imposing gateway structure likely dates ba...

Penukonda Fort – An Overlooked Chapter of Vijayanagara Splendour After the catastrophic fall of Hampi in 1565 CE following the Battle of Talikota, the glorious Vijayanagara Empire reeled under crisis. Amidst the ashes of destruction, the empire attempted to revive itself, choosing Penukonda , a strategically located town in present-day Sri Sathya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh, as its temporary capital. Penukonda Fort , sprawling across the Penukonda hill, became the epicentre of this renewed assertion of power. With multiple layers of fortification, secret water tanks, watch towers, temples, and a rich blend of architectural styles, it remains a lesser-visited gem. Among its many hidden structures is a humble, almost unassuming building tied to one of the most tragic episodes in Vijayanagara history, the imprisonment of Timmarusu . Who Was Timmarusu? Mahapratihara Timmarusu was the trusted minister and mentor of Krishnadevaraya , one of the most celebrated emperors of South India...

  Penukonda is known as the second capital of the Vijayanagara Empire after the fall of Hampi. But tucked beyond its fort walls and palace ruins lies a lesser-known sacred space, a   Mahakali cave temple , nestled within natural boulders and reverently maintained by devotees. There isn't a grand mandapa or a multi-tiered tower. Instead, it's a shrine where  nature itself becomes the garbhagriha , where hills cradle the Divine Mother, and where silence reigns over any architectural elaboration. Penukonda Fort Maha Kali Cave Temple The Trail to Kali – Through Boulders, Painted Stones, and Wild Paths The journey to the Mahakali temple begins inside the fort's inner landscape, where the terrain transforms into rolling hillocks and scattered greenery. A short but uneven trek begins with large stone steps shaded by trees. Along the way, one encounters painted rock markings, some arrow signs, others with simple folk figures. These guide you across the rocky trail. One striking f...

After the majestic city of Hampi fell into ruins following the Battle of Talikota in 1565 CE, the Vijayanagara Empire needed a new administrative seat. It was then that Penukonda , nestled amidst the arid hills of present-day Andhra Pradesh, rose to prominence as the second capital of the empire under Sri Krishnadevaraya . But Penukonda was not just a seat of administration. It was a formidable citadel, a stronghold that stood its ground long after Hampi’s temples fell silent. The fort here was known for its solid defence architecture; walls that whispered stories of loyalty, resistance, and eventual surrender. A Capital That Changed Hands Following the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, Penukonda didn’t fade into oblivion. Instead, it became a coveted strategic prize. It was first captured by the Sultan of Golconda , then taken over briefly by the Mysore kingdom , and eventually, after the fall of Tipu Sultan , came under the control of the British . Even with the passage of c...

Did you know that in the small village of Kanipakam , located in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, there exists a temple where the deity is believed to grow in size? This is the Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swamy Temple , more popularly called the Kanipakam Ganesha Temple . Photo courtesy: Wiki Commons Origin and Legends It is believed that the temple was originally constructed in the early 11th century CE by Kulotunga Chola I and later expanded by the Vijayanagara kings in the 14th or 15th century. But the temple’s true significance lies in its fascinating legends. Nearly a thousand years ago, three brothers lived near the present temple site. Each of them suffered from a physical disability; one was blind, another was deaf, and the third was mute. They survived by cultivating a small patch of land. One day, while they were drawing water from a well, the water ran dry. One brother climbed down to deepen the well and struck a stone with his spade. To his astonishment, blood began t...

I have been documenting the Kanheri Caves through a series of detailed articles. In earlier parts, I explored the architectural layout and sculptural grandeur of Cave No. 3, covering its majestic entrance, the imposing pillars within the Chaitya hall, colossal Buddha images, donor couple sculptures, extensive sculptural panels along the verandah walls, the central stupa, lion-crowned pillars, votive stupas, some of the earliest Buddha figures and started explaining the inscriptions found in the site. This is the 15th article in the series. In this part, I continue focusing on the inscriptions found in and around Cave No. 3, which add another layer of depth to our understanding of the site’s history, patronage, and Buddhist affiliations. Inscription 6  This inscription is engraved on a  small bas-relief stupa  located on the  right side wall outside the verandah  of  Chaitya Cave No. 3 . The votive stupa itself is modest in scale and carved directly on the r...