Sri Virupaksha Temple, Hampi, in Hampi in Karnataka, is a shrine to Lord Shiva as Virupaksha, with Goddess Pampa (Pampapathi). It is also known as Pampapathi Temple.
The principal and oldest living temple of Hampi and part of the UNESCO World Heritage 'Group of Monuments at Hampi'; the enshrined Virupaksha is a form of Shiva and remains an active place of worship amid the surrounding ruins. Situated at the western end of Hampi Bazaar on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra, Virupaksha has been in continuous worship since about the 7th century, making it one of the oldest functioning temples in India.
Karnataka carries a distinct temple identity of its own: Vijayanagara grandeur at Hampi, Hoysala artistry at Belur, and living coastal shrines at Udupi, Kukke and Kollur, Karnataka is a museum of South Indian temple genius.
Darshan hours and daily worship
| Session | Timing (as published) |
|---|---|
| Morning | 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM |
| Evening | 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM (Hampi by Night light & sound show typically at 7:00 PM) |
Open all days; a second source lists 9:00 AM–1:00 PM and 5:00 PM–9:00 PM, so morning opening may vary, reconfirm locally
Poojas and daily rituals
Daily pujas and abhishekams to Virupaksha and Pampa; evening aarti
Festivals and special-day timings
Regular darshan hours are usually extended, or set aside entirely, on these dates.
| Festival | Period | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Virupaksha Car Festival (Rathotsava) | March/April | Deities Virupaksha and Pampa are drawn through Hampi on an ornate wooden chariot |
| Phalapuja | December | Marks the divine marriage of Virupaksha and Pampa |
| Maha Shivaratri | February/March | Major Shiva festival, coinciding with the Hampi Utsav cultural celebration |
History and architecture
Architecture
Dravidian style with towering gopurams (the eastern tower rises about 160 feet over nine tiers), pillared halls, courtyards and the Krishnadevaraya-built Ranga Mantapam with Vijayanagara bas-reliefs and murals
History
Situated at the western end of Hampi Bazaar on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra, Virupaksha has been in continuous worship since about the 7th century, making it one of the oldest functioning temples in India. It grew from a modest shrine under the Chalukyas and Hoysalas into a major religious hub under the Vijayanagara kings Deva Raya II and Krishnadevaraya, who added the eastern gopuram and central pillared hall.
Planning your visit
How to reach
Nearest railway station Hospet (about 13 km); nearest airport Hubli (about 160 km), Bengaluru about 350 km; KSRTC buses from Bengaluru, Hubli and Goa; from Hampi bus stand the temple is a short walk.
Sri Virupaksha Temple, Hampi in photographs
5 freely-licensed photographs of this temple, from Wikimedia Commons. Each is credited to its photographer.
Where this information comes from
Confidence: Medium. History, architecture and festivals are well documented, but exact darshan timings, fees and a ritual schedule remain unconfirmed. A dedicated search was made for a temple-trust or devasthanam website for Sri Virupaksha Temple, distinct from the general Hampi/ASI tourism sites, and none was found. The only official-domain pages located were the Vijayanagara district government's tourist-place page (vijayanagara.nic.in) and Karnataka Tourism's listing, and neither publishes darshan timings, fees, or a ritual schedule. The temple is understood to fall under Karnataka's Muzrai (Hindu religious endowments) administration, but no public Muzrai-run site with temple-specific schedule/fee data could be located. Per the strict data-honesty policy, no ritualSchedule or darshanTiers entries were added, since no individually-sourced official clock times or fee amounts could be verified; the existing free-entry plus roughly Rs. 25 special-darshan and light-and-sound-show figures remain sourced only from secondary tourism sites, not from an official page.