East Entrance of the Mahamandapa

Vitthala Temple, Vijayanagara

The full extent of damage to the temple can be seen in this view from the east entrance of the mahamandapa, looking west down the temple axis (plan). Once thought to have been caused by Muslim invasion, the damage is now considered to be at least partly due to time and neglect. For example, there is no evidence of burning inside the building, as would have been expected if the damage had been done by invaders.

In general, it can be said that when the Muslims overran the city in 1565: a) they burned the palace buildings down to the ground, so that only their stone platforms are left; b) they did some partial damage to the Hindu temples, such as this one; and c) they left the Muslim-styled buildings, such as the Lotus Mahal, pretty much alone.

The weight of the of this temple's ususually long and heavy roof beams and ceiling slabs may have been a contributing factor to the collapse of the building.