ARTICLE
Ugra Narasimha Statue, Hampi
The defeat of Vijayanagara by an alliance of the Deccan Sultanates in 1565 led to a sack of the city, during which the structure was also harmed. Both knees of Narasimha, and the Lakshmi image seated atop them, were broken off. This has commonly been interpreted as an act of iconoclasm by Muslim rulers, a view that has been questioned by recent scholarship. It has been pointed out that a monumental statue of Ganesha near the Narasimha statue was left untouched by the attacking armies, suggesting that the vandalism of the Narasimha statue was driven by its association with the power of the Tuluva Dynasty, rather than primarily by religious considerations. Such politically-driven acts of violence were commonplace in the sixteenth century: the rulers of Vijayanagara, especially Krishnadevaraya, are attested to have done so during campaigns in Odisha and the northern Deccan.
Restoration attempts in the 1980s brought the figure back to a cross-legged position by adding in a pair of knees. A yogapatta band was also added, strapping the knees together. This addition has often led the image to be described as Yoga Narasimha, as a result of which the restoration remains controversial.
As of writing, the Ugra Narasimha statue continues to feature in debates over religious and political violence in the sixteenth century and remains a major tourist attraction at Hampi.
Bibliography
Verghese, Anila. “Deities, cults, and kings at Vijayanagara.” World Archaeology, 36(3), 416-431. https://doi.org/10.1080/1468936042000282726812a
Lycett, Mark T. and Kathleen D. Morrison. “The “Fall” of Vijayanagara Reconsidered: Political Destruction and Historical Construction in South Indian History.” Journal of The Economic and Social History of The Orient 56 (2013): 433-470.
Michell, George. “Sculpture.” The New Cambridge History of India: Architecture and art of Southern India. Cambridge University Press, 2008.
Srinivasan, Sharasa, Rajarshi Sengupta, S. Padhmapriya, Praveen Johnson, Uma Kritika, Srinivasa Ranganathan and Pallavi Thakur. “Vijayanagara Era Narasimha Bronzes and Sculpture: Digital Iconometry.” In Digital Hampi: Preserving Indian Cultural Heritage, edited by Anupama Malik, Sanatnu Chaudhary, Vijay Chandru, and Sharada Srinivasan. Singapore: Springer, 2017.