Explain briefly the contribution of the Vijayanagar Empire to the architecture of the period.

The rulers of Vijayanagar Empire were great builders and patrons of architecture. The city of Vijayanagar, the capital of the Empire was characterised by a distinctive layout and building style with seven lines of forts encircling the city, its agricultural hinterland and forests.
The ruins at Hampi display the architectural splendour of the Vijayanagar Empire at its best. The main features of architecture of Hampi are the following:

• Hampi was a well-fortified city. In the construction of the walls, no mortar or cementing agent was used. Instead the stones were put together by interlocking.
• Temples and palaces formed the hub of architectural development. The most famous of the temples are the Hazara Ram Temple, the Virupaksha Temple and Vitthala Temple.
• The Elephant Stable is one among the few least destroyed structures at Hampi. This was used to keep royal elephants.
• The buildings in the royal complex had beautiful arches, domes and pillared halls.
• There existed well-planned orchards and pleasure gardens with various sculptural motifs such as the lotus and Corbels.
• Stepped tank having a geometrical design is a unique structure that used to be fed by a water chute. Besides, there are tanks attached to the temples called the Pushakaranis.