Lotus Mahal or Chitrangini Mahal is an important secular structure in

Hampi Hampi or Hampe, also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Hampi town, Vijayanagara district, east-central Karnataka, India. Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th&n ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The Lotus Mahal is an example of Vijayanagara style of architecture and is a two storied structure built in

Rubble masonry Rubble stone is rough, uneven building stone not laid in regular courses. It may fill the core of a wall which is faced with unit masonry such as brick or ashlar. Analogously, some medieval cathedral walls are outer shells of ashlar with an i ...

and finely plastered. The structure was used as residue place for royal family of the

Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and Mahar ...

Architecture

Lotus Mahal literally means " Palace of Lotus". This structure was made for the Royal family of the

. The palace stands around a walled compound near the Royal centre. The structure is laid out symmetrically with equal projections on four sides. The dome gives an illustration of an open lotus bud. The curves of the palace are inspired by the

Islamic architecture Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic ...

and protect the palace from harsh weather conditions. It has two storeys, both with arched openings in multiple planes surrounded by elaborate plaster designs. It has total of eight pyramidal towers over the corners and one big tower in the middle of the structure and is supported by 24 pillars. The pyramidal tower is influenced by

Indian Architecture Indian architecture is rooted in its history, culture and religion. Among a number of architectural styles and traditions, the best-known include the many varieties of Hindu temple architecture, Indo-Islamic architecture, especially Mughal ...

. The pillars are decorated with stone carved aquatic animals, plants etc. The palace is built by bricks and Mortar (masonry).The ground floor is raised on a high ornamental stone basement with doubled recessed angles.

History

The palace is built in the Zenana enclosure and was reserved for the royal women of the

. according to historical accounts, the structure was built to serve the royal women of the empire. Also the king Krishnadevaraya used it as his council chamber for meeting with his ministers. The palace was also used as a relaxing place for the royal family. It is one of the few structures that did not suffer any major damage when Hampi was invaded. Owing to many invasions by Deccan sultanates and improper maintenance, the palace has ruined and has lost most of its carved decoration in the restoration work.

Gallery

Hampi, India, Lotus Mahal.jpg Hampi, India, Watch Tower, The Zenana Enclosure, Vijayanagara Empire.jpg, Watch tower near the palace LTC 2018 178.jpg, Pillars IMG 2389 Lotus Mahal arch design.jpg, Carvings Lotus Mahal in 1880.jpg, Lotus Mahal in 1885

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lotus_Mahal_ (Chirangi_Mahal) Architecture in India Hampi Archaeological sites in Karnataka Indo-Islamic architecture Vijayanagara Empire