The glory of VijayanagaraEmpire has inspired and fascinated many a writer and historian but its significance in terms of the religious ethos has not received due attention it deserves. Particularly the religious cults which profoundly influenced the religious, social and culturallife of the people during the Vijayanagara period have not been taken up for indepth investigation. The present work, it is hoped, may fulfil the longfelt requirement in this direction.
The work is devoted to a study of the popular religious cults of Virupaksa, Virabhadra, Ganesa,
Narasimha, Rama, Krsna,, Venkatesvara, Vithala and Hanuman in the Vijayanagara Empire. The
work highlights the historical perspective, developmental processes, regional trends, iconography of
cult deities, evolution of concepts and their impact on socio-cultural groups. All the available sources
of information-epigraphical records, literary works and sculptures of the Vijayanagara period have
been utilized to present a comprehensive picture of the religious cults.
About the Author
Dr. Konduri Sarojini Devi (born in 1937) is a retired Professor of History, Osmania University,
Hyderabad. She was former Head of the Department of History, Osmania University. She did her M.A.
in History from Osmania University in 1960. She was awarded the Doctor of Philosophy for her thesis
‘Religion in Vijayanagara Empire A.A. 1336 to A. D. 1565’, by Delhi University in 1969.
She is a dedicated researcher and contributed number of research articles on religious and social
history of Vijayanagara Empire to various reputed Journals. She is associated with distinguished
academic bodies like the South Indian History Congress, Andhra Pradesh History Congress and
Indian History Congress. She is a Ph.D., Supervisor and many students have obtained their degrees
under her supervision. She is the author of ‘Religion in Vijayanagara Empire’ published in 1990.
