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Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh PalThe author is basically a journalist having spent nearly three decades in print and television journalism with very little background in temple history. His brief stint in Sri Venkateswara Bhakti Channel of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams as its COO emboldened him to research its history. He has to his credit another book of Vijayanagara’s history published by Notion Press, Vijayanagara – The Never to Be Forgotten Empire.Read More...
The author is basically a journalist having spent nearly three decades in print and television journalism with very little background in temple history. His brief stint in Sri Venkateswara Bhakti Channel of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams as its COO emboldened him to research its history.
He has to his credit another book of Vijayanagara’s history published by Notion Press, Vijayanagara – The Never to Be Forgotten Empire.
Read Less...Achievements
The Vijayanagar Empire, which was headquartered in present-day Hampi, Karnataka, is acclaimed in pre-modern history as the most powerful kingdom to arrest the onslaught of Moghul invaders in the South for nearly two centuries. Its rulers were known for their valour in taking on the Sultans from the North. Further, the rulers of Vijayanagara were great patrons of Hindu culture and civilization and were known for their military and administrative acumen. They pa
The Vijayanagar Empire, which was headquartered in present-day Hampi, Karnataka, is acclaimed in pre-modern history as the most powerful kingdom to arrest the onslaught of Moghul invaders in the South for nearly two centuries. Its rulers were known for their valour in taking on the Sultans from the North. Further, the rulers of Vijayanagara were great patrons of Hindu culture and civilization and were known for their military and administrative acumen. They patronized fine arts, music, dance and temple architecture.
Despite their glory, there are conflicting records of the empire’s history, right from the inception of the empire to its collapse. There are some apologists who even contest the fact that Sage Vidyaranya founded the empire to defend Hinduism and its values. Others, foreign tourists who visited the empire, were not wholly appreciative of the rulers and exaggerated their weaknesses if any. Influenced by their religious allegiances, these visitors were often biased and tended to base their narratives on hearsay. Modern historians too have discredited the empire so as to nullify the role of religious bigotry. They came up with theories that do not truly represent the true spirit and culture of this great empire.
Which narrative is the most accurate and who has curated the history of the Vijayanagar Empire in the most succinct way? This book only tries to analyse various theories about the Empire and tries to give a perspective on such controversies.
There are two million Hindu temples in India. Some of them are more than one thousand five hundred years old. Some of them are known for their architectural splendor and some for their historical importance. But most of them attract devotees for their spiritual significance. In a way temples are a tool for the Hindus to connect with the Creator. Among these places of worship what stands out as the most popular one in the entire world is Tirumala (Tirupati) loc
There are two million Hindu temples in India. Some of them are more than one thousand five hundred years old. Some of them are known for their architectural splendor and some for their historical importance. But most of them attract devotees for their spiritual significance. In a way temples are a tool for the Hindus to connect with the Creator. Among these places of worship what stands out as the most popular one in the entire world is Tirumala (Tirupati) located in Andhra Pradesh, India, dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Tirumala is also known as Venkatachalam, the presiding deity being Venkateswara. He is also known to his devotees as Lord of Seven Hills, Balaji and Srinivasa. Tirumala temple is the richest temple in the world with its annual budget hovering around 25 billion rupees. The footfall for this magnificent temple touches a whopping figure of seventy thousand on weekdays and one hundred thousand during the weekends. Most of the saints in the South have sung in praise of Lord Venkateswara from Annamayya to Thyagayya, apart from Alwars and Acharyas.
This world record to fame and riches is not without its flip side. The temple has become the focal point for a variety of controversies. The never-ending dispute is over the identity of the idol as a result of the age-old conflict between the worshippers of Siva and Vishnu bedsides neo-Buddhists. The latter strongly believe that Tirumala temple was a Buddhist shrine, but was converted into Vishnu temple by “wily Brahmins” when Buddhism was getting edged out from India. The book, Venkatachala Nilayam, is an attempt to unravel the mystery over the history of the temple, providing a historical perspective to the issue and thus establishing the real identity of the Lord, indisputably that of the Lord Vishnu
The Vijayanagar Empire, which was headquartered in present-day Hampi, Karnataka, is acclaimed in pre-modern history as the most powerful kingdom to arrest the onslaught of Moghul invaders in the South for nearly two centuries. Its rulers were known for their valour in taking on the Sultans from the North. Further, the rulers of Vijayanagara were great patrons of Hindu culture and civilization and were known for their military and administrative acumen. They pa
The Vijayanagar Empire, which was headquartered in present-day Hampi, Karnataka, is acclaimed in pre-modern history as the most powerful kingdom to arrest the onslaught of Moghul invaders in the South for nearly two centuries. Its rulers were known for their valour in taking on the Sultans from the North. Further, the rulers of Vijayanagara were great patrons of Hindu culture and civilization and were known for their military and administrative acumen. They patronized fine arts, music, dance and temple architecture.
Despite their glory, there are conflicting records of the empire’s history, right from the inception of the empire to its collapse. There are some apologists who even contest the fact that Sage Vidyaranya founded the empire to defend Hinduism and its values. Others, foreign tourists who visited the empire, were not wholly appreciative of the rulers and exaggerated their weaknesses if any. Influenced by their religious allegiances, these visitors were often biased and tended to base their narratives on hearsay. Modern historians too have discredited the empire so as to nullify the role of religious bigotry. They came up with theories that do not truly represent the true spirit and culture of this great empire.
Which narrative is the most accurate and who has curated the history of the Vijayanagar Empire in the most succinct way? This book only tries to analyse various theories about the Empire and tries to give a perspective on such controversies.
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