Rama, Ramayana & Vijaynagara Empire

Ramayana, the tale of Prince and King Rama, has a lasting impact on how our civilization evolved. The Vijaynagara empire that ruled from Hampi in Karnataka, had a lot of influence of Rama and Ramayana. In this special lecture, Dr Hima Bindu Kanoj will be guiding us about how Ramayana has influenced the Vijaynagara empire.

About Vijaynagara Empire

The Vijayanagara Empire (also called the Karnata Kingdom) was a medieval Indian empire that covered much of the region of Southern India, ruling the lands of the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, and some parts of Telangana and Maharashtra. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, members of a pastoralist cowherd community that claimed Yadava lineage. At its peak, it conquered almost all of Southern India's ruling dynasties and pushed the Turco-Persian sultans of the Deccan beyond the Tungabhadra-Krishna River doab region, in addition to annexing Gajapati Empire (Odisha) up to the Krishna River, thus becoming a notable power.

The empire is named after its capital city of Vijayanagara, as Hampi was renamed, whose extensive ruins are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka. The wealth and fame of the empire inspired visits by and writings of medieval European travelers such as Domingo Paes, Fernão Nunes, and Niccolò de' Conti. These travelogues, contemporary literature and epigraphy in the local languages, and modern archeological excavations at Vijayanagara have provided ample information about the history and power of the empire.

The empire's legacy includes monuments spread over Southern India, the best known of which is the group at Hampi. Different temple building traditions in South and Central India were merged into the Vijayanagara architecture style. This synthesis inspired architectural innovations in the construction of Hindu temples. Efficient administration and vigorous overseas trade brought new technologies to the region such as water management systems for irrigation. The empire's patronage enabled fine arts and literature to reach new heights in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Sanskrit with topics such as astronomy, mathematics, medicine, fiction, musicology, historiography and theater gaining popularity. The classical music of Southern India, Carnatic music, evolved into its current form. The Vijayanagara Empire created an epoch in the history of Southern India that transcended regionalism by promoting Hinduism as a unifying factor.

About The Speaker

Dr Hima Bindu Kanoj is Initiated a researcher on Vijaynagara Kindgom and the sculptures from Vijaynagara empire. She is the head of Muvva Nritya Raaga Nigamam, training in Kuchipudi for 20 years. A recipient of the Junior Fellowship scholarship from CCRT, she has been a Team member of Arun Govil's Sanatan Parampara and Vichar Dhaara group for projects on Ramayana and dance. She is also Core team member of Indian.Temples Research and Media Services and she has Visited and guided many institutes in Florida as part of Rotary International's GSE program in 2010. Dr Hima has delivered multiple lectures in India, USA, Malaysia and in Europe. 

She is recipient of more than 30 awards including Indian Excellence Award : 2022 ;  Natya Vidyadhari Award by Nishumbitha Natya Gyaanpeeth; Appreciation award at District Conference of RI District 6970, Florida, USA (2010-11) and Appreciation award at District Conference of RI District 3150, Hyderabad (2011-12) .