▁India ▁he ▁is ▁generally ▁known ▁as ▁Vit th ala . ▁The ▁H amp i ▁temple ▁( ment ioned ▁above ) ▁is ▁a ▁World ▁Heritage ▁site ▁and ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁of ▁Vit th ala ' s ▁tem ples ▁outside ▁Mah ar as ht ra . ▁Con struct ed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th   century , ▁the ▁temple ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁hous ed ▁the ▁central ▁image ▁from ▁P and h arp ur , ▁which ▁the ▁V ij ay an ag ara ▁king ▁Kr ish na de var aya ▁took ▁" to ▁enh ance ▁his ▁own ▁status " ▁or ▁to ▁save ▁the ▁image ▁from ▁pl under ▁by ▁Muslim ▁inv aders . ▁It ▁was ▁later ▁returned ▁to ▁P and h arp ur ▁by ▁B han ud as ▁( 1 4 4 8 – 1 5 1 3 ), ▁the ▁great - grand father ▁of ▁poet - s aint ▁E kn ath . ▁Today , ▁the ▁temple ▁stands ▁without ▁a ▁central ▁image , ▁though ▁between ▁ 1 5 1 6 ▁and ▁ 1 5 6 5 , ▁most ▁important ▁transactions , ▁which ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁carried ▁out ▁previously ▁in ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁state ▁de ity ▁Vir up ak sha ▁( a ▁form ▁of ▁Sh iva ), ▁were ▁issued ▁in ▁presence ▁of ▁the ▁central ▁image ▁of ▁Vit th ala . ▁Three ▁of ▁Mad h v ach ary a ' s ▁eight ▁math as ▁( mon aster ies ) ▁in ▁K arn ata ka — Sh ir ur , ▁Pe jav ara ▁and ▁P utt