Why was the Vitthala temple of Vijayanagara considered unique and interesting? Explain with example.

OR

Explain the significance of enclosing agricultural land within the fortified

area of the city of Vijayanagara.

Vitthala temple of Vijayanagara was considered unique and

interesting due to the following reasons:

1. The principal deity in the Vitthala temple was Vitthala- a form of Vishnu.

2. It had many halls and a shrine designed in the form of a chariot.

3. It had chariot streets that extended from the temple gopurams in a straight line.

4. The streets had stone slabs and lines with a pillared pavilion in which the merchants set up their shops.

5. The rulers of Vijayanagar drew on different traditions to create an empirical culture.

OR

The significance of enclosing agricultural land within the fortified area of the city of Vijayanagara is explained below:

1. To save people from the medieval sieges, agricultural tracts were incorporated within the fortified area.

2. To save people from starvation, they were encouraged to work on the agricultural lands.

3. Sieges could last from a few days to a few years.

4. So, granaries were also built within the area.

5. This strategy was developed by the rulers of Vijayanagar to protect the agricultural belt.