Krishnadevaraya throne found in Hampi?

An original picture of Emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya

As Andhra Pradesh prepares to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the coronation of Vijayanagara King Sri Krishnadevaraya, his throne remains an unresolved riddle to historians. Where does it lie now?

Was it used by Sri Krishnadevaraya's successors after his demise in 1530 A.D., after a 21-year successful rule described as the golden age in medieval south India?

Or taken away by Bahmani sultans after Aliya Ramaraya, son-in-law of Sri Krishnadevaraya, suffered a crushing defeat at their hands in the Tallikote battle in 1565?

However, according to Dr. K. Krishna Rao, an authority on Sri Krishnadevaraya, the throne is very much in Hampi. Dr. Rao's research recently took him there and he “chanced upon” the throne in the famous Virupaksha temple, the place where, historians say, the coronation took place on August 7, 1509.

The throne, resembling a highly embellished chair used for grooms and brides at marriages of celebrities these days, was made of pure silver and full of engravings.

Now, it is being used by archakas as the peetham to place “ammavarau,” the consort of the presiding deity, Lord Shiva, he said.

Dr. Rao said the archakas gave him the tip-off with great reluctance.

Unlike all other structures destroyed by the Bahmanis after the war, the temple remained intact. Shaivite soldiers formed a sizeable chunk of the Bahmani army which participated in the Hampi devastation but they spared the temple as it was dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Claim yet to be proven

Archaeologists in the State Archaeology Department, however, say the claim is yet to be ascertained.

Dr. Rao also stumbled upon the original portrait of the emperor done by Domingo Paes, Portuguese traveller who visited his court and penned down his memories.

It is now at the Bharat Vidya Samsodhan Mandal, Pune. Sri Krishnadevaraya has a long moustache and the familiar turban-like crown.