Author: DH News Service
Publication: Deccan Herald
Date: January 14, 2007
URL: http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jan142007/state058252007114.asp
A bigger and more prominent university than
Nalanda University has been discovered near Hampi. Believed to have housed
more native and foreign students than Nalanda, the Lokapavana University at
Chakratheertha near Hampi is expected to open up new vistas of discussion
in history.
The newly discovered Lokapavana University
was built by Vyasaraya during the Vijayanagar era in Hampi. However, the persons
who discovered this historical monument do not belong to any research group.
They are commoners, illiterates, to whom this monument was just the 'Vyasa
Mutt'.When the Deccan Herald reporter visited the spot, photographed the sites
and discussed them with experts, more startling facts came to light.
The University, located opposite the Vali
Sugriva cave, near Chakratheertha, faces the western direction. To the South
West of the varsity, one can see the gopura of Virupaksha Temple; on one side
is also the Mathanga Parvatha, while on the other (South) is the temple of
Anjaneya, who was the well-revered God for Vyasaraya. To the left of the varsity
is a sloping road and a Purandara Mantapa while to the North East is Vijaya
Vittala temple, the abode of the lord of Vyasaraya's poems, Krishna.
At the entrance to the main building of the
varsity is an idol of Goddess Saraswathi. Alongside the Goddess, are two elephants
holding a Kalasha each, atop the Goddess' head. In the nearby columns there
are two sets of Ashtadalas etched within a circle. There are also nine kindis
to the north wall of this room.
There is a gopura to the south of the main
building and a mantapa on the first storey, which is etched with beautiful
inscriptions. If one sees the monument from its front, one can see Anjaneya
to the left and Garuda to the right, as if welcoming the visitor. Similar
inscriptions are seen at the rear portion of the monument too.
A Mutt was built for Vyasaraya, who was the
Rajaguru of Vijayanagar emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya, near Chakratheertha in
the 15th Century. A hall, library and a school was built within this Mutt.
Vyasaraya, who set up a scholarly institution, expanded it gradually into
the Lokapavana University.
Eventually, people began referring to the
Mutt as the Vishnupavana Mutt.
The head of the University was Vyasaraya himself
and over 10,000 students were educated here, among them German and Yehudi
students too. In addition to Vedic education, students were trained in Vaasthu,
sculpting, psychology, commerce, mechanics and other such streams. In fact,
the varsity is said to have had many branches across the country.
In Hardwar, it was Sathyanath, in Kashi Jayadev,
in Bengal it was Eshwarsoori, in Gaya Harimishra, in Udupi Vadiraja, in Mulbagal
Pragnanidhi, in Kanchi it was Srinivas Theertha who ran the show - these men
were made vice-chancellors in the respective areas, according to 'Vyasayogi
Charitha', a Sanskrit Champu Kavya by Somanatha and 'Saraswatha Parinama',
an epic by Raghavendrappa in 1811.
The foreign traveller Nannis, in his writings
about the Vijayanagar empire, speaks of the long processions, a decorated
yathi seated in a golden chariot, with musical accompaniments, as part of
the varsity's convocation.