The Royal Centre

The Royal Centre: Power, Ritual, and Enigma

The royal centre of Vijayanagara was not a single palace complex but a sprawling zone in the south-western part of the city. What makes it fascinating is that it contained over sixty temples alongside about thirty identified palace complexes. This tells us something crucial: the rulers did not separate political power from religious authority. By building temples within the royal centre, they were visibly associating themselves with the gods, using divine sanction to legitimise their rule.

The palaces themselves are a puzzle. They are large structures, but unlike temples — which were built entirely of stone and masonry — the superstructures of these secular buildings were made of perishable materials like wood. Only the foundations and platforms survive today. This is why archaeologists have had to guess at their functions based on form rather than on clear evidence.

The Mahanavami Dibba: A Platform of Power

Among the most striking structures is the mahanavami dibba, a massive platform that rises 40 feet from a base of about 11,000 square feet. It sits on one of the highest points in the city. The base is covered with relief carvings, and there is evidence that a wooden structure once stood on top of it.

The name comes from the festival of Mahanavami — the great ninth day of the Hindu autumn festival known as Dussehra in the north, Durga Puja in Bengal, and Navaratri in peninsular India. This was the occasion when the Vijayanagara kings put their power on full display. The ceremonies included:

• Worship of an image (likely of the goddess)
• Worship of the state horse
• Sacrifice of buffaloes and other animals
• Dances, wrestling matches, and grand processions of caparisoned horses, elephants, chariots, and soldiers
• Ritual presentations before the king by chief nayakas and subordinate kings, who brought rich gifts and tribute

On the final day, the king inspected his army and the armies of the nayakas in an open field. These were not mere entertainments — every act was imbued with deep symbolic meaning, reinforcing the king's supremacy and the hierarchical order of the empire.

Yet the mahanavami dibba remains an enigma. Scholars point out that the space around it is too small for the elaborate processions described by visitors. So was this platform really the centre of those rituals? We cannot be sure.

The Audience Hall

Adjacent to the mahanavami dibba is the so-called "audience hall" — a high platform with slots for wooden pillars placed at close, regular intervals. A staircase led to a second floor that rested on these pillars. Because the pillars were so closely spaced, there was very little free floor area. This makes it unclear what the hall was actually used for. It may not have been an audience hall at all.

The Lotus Mahal: A Beautiful Mystery

One of the most elegant buildings in the royal centre is the Lotus Mahal, a name given by British travellers in the nineteenth century. It is a romantic name, but historians are uncertain about its actual function. A map drawn by the surveyor Colin Mackenzie suggests it may have been a council chamber where the king met his advisers.

Architecturally, the Lotus Mahal is notable for its arches, which were probably inspired by Indo-Islamic techniques. It had nine towers — a high central one and eight along the sides.

The Hazara Rama Temple

While most temples were concentrated in the sacred centre, several were located in the royal centre as well. The most spectacular of these is the Hazara Rama temple. This was likely a private temple meant for the king and his family alone. The images in the central shrine are missing, but the sculpted panels on the walls survive. The inner walls of the shrine depict scenes from the Ramayana.

The Elephant Stables

Close to the Lotus Mahal is a structure commonly called the "elephant stables." Whether it actually housed elephants is debated. The building has a series of arched chambers, and its plan and elevation show features that could have served as stables — but no definitive evidence exists. …