English: The first thing comes to mind on seeing this temple, or more precisely its walls, is the locally popular comic strips of Hindu mythology, Ramayana. But the difference is, the stories are carved, in long arrays, onto the walls of this temple.

This is not a huge temple by Hampi’s yardstick. But this temple at the heart of the royal area has some peculiarities. Firstly it had been functioning as a private temple for the king, or at the most, the royal family. The importance of this temple can be judged from its nodal location in the royal area. Your paths to various locations within the citadel concur at a corner of this temple. Probably this is the only temple in the capital with its external walls decorated with bas-reliefs mentioned above. And the temple got its name Hazara Rama (a thousand Rama) Temple owing to this multitude of these Ramayana panels on its walls.

A sprawling lawn located at the north of this temple is an easy landmark you can spot from a distance. The dusty path that connects the Royal Enclosure with the Zenena Enclosure passes along the temple courtyard. Also the path from Danaik’s Enclosure and Underground Shiva Temple joins this path at its northeastern corner.

So any itinerary you chalk out for this area, you would come across this temple in one way or other. Look for the signpost installed in front of the temple, across the path, can give you direction to the Pan Supari (Beatle nut) Bazaar. This northeast oriented trail from the temple courtyard pass through a packed but shattered cluster of structures. These associate shrines, pavilions, lampposts and the likes once decorated the main path to the temple. You go further a little along the same trail to reach the sunken Pattanada Yellamma Temple and the Ranga Temple beyond it.

This is the only temple situated in the core of the royal zone between the residential and ceremonial enclosures. Dedicated to Vishnu in his aspect as Lord Rama, this 15th century temple, is the finest example of a compact Dravida Vimana type of temple. In plan it has a sanctum, vestibule, pillared dance hall, with an entrance porch to the north and south. The eastern porch is extended into an elegant pillared pavilion. There is a shrine for the goddess to the north which is also elegantly sculpted.

The temple is known for its sculpted friezes depicting the Ramayana, in three tiers, running all around the main shrine, and the narrative sculptures of the Lava-Kusha story on the Devi shrine. The temple is also known for the narrative sculptures of the Bhagvata, especially of Bala Krishna, and the sculpted polished pillars of the mahamantapa. It was undoubtedly, the temple of the royal patronage.

courtesy hampi.in