This photograph shows the Garuda shrine, maha mandapa and eastern gopura, Vitthala temple complex, Hampi (Vijayanagara) by Alexander Greenlaw - 1856

This photograph shows an oblique view of an ornately decorated and domed stone shrine which resembles a chariot with large stone wheels and is set in a courtyard. To the left of the shrine is a section of a temple with elaborate detail and clusters of columns. To the right of the shrine is a towering gateway with elaborately sculpted tiers. Further to the right can be seen a small section of another structure which, to an extent, mirrors the section of temple to the left of the picture. The courtyard is overgrown with vegetation. Rocky hills can be seen in the background. Inscription bottom left.

Vijayanagara, meaning ‘city of victory’ was the imperial capital of the last great Hindu empire to rule south India. Established in 1336 and named after its capital, the Vijayanagara empire expanded and prospered throughout the next century. In 1565, this impressive city was sacked by armies from the Deccan sultanates and never rebuilt. Now known as the ‘Group of Monuments at Hampi’, the site represents the empire’s finest and highest concentration of architecture. Classified into religious, courtly and military buildings, its pillared audience halls and towering gateways are its stylistic hallmarks. Many secular buildings bear Islamic features, displaying the city’s cosmopolitan inception. Some of its religious complexes remain in use today.

Amateur British colonial photographer, Alexander Greenlaw was the first to extensively photograph the site in 1855-56. The resulting series of waxed paper negatives were made available to the V&A and printed in 1910. These are the earliest known prints.

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