page_title: Krishnadevaraya
section_title: Religion and culture
hierarchical_section_title: Krishnadevaraya / Religion and culture
caption_attribution_description: English: Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and surroundings. Seen in the temple campus are the outer gopuram, inner gopuram and gold plated gopuram. In the foreground, Vaikuntam Queue Complex is seen as a semicircular structure.
context_page_description: Krishnadevaraya was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire who reigned from 1509–1529. He was the third ruler of the Tuluva Dynasty and is considered to be its greatest ruler. He possessed the largest empire in India after the decline of the Delhi Sultanate. Presiding over the empire at its zenith, he is regarded as an icon by many Indians. Krishnadevaraya earned the titles Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana, Andhra Bhoja and Mooru Rayara Ganda. He became the dominant ruler of the peninsula of India by defeating the Sultans of Bijapur, Golconda, the Bahmani Sultanate and the Gajapatis of Odisha, and was one of the most powerful Hindu rulers in India. Indeed, when the Mughal Emperor Babur was taking stock of the potentates of north India, Krishnadevaraya was rated the most powerful and had the most extensive empire in the subcontinent.
  Portuguese travellers Domingo Paes and Fernao Nuniz also visited the Vijayanagara Empire during his reign. Travelogues indicate that the king was not only an able administrator but also an excellent general, leading from the front in battle and even attending to the wounded. The south Indian poet Muku Timmana praised him as the destroyer of the Turkics.
context_section_description: Krishna Deva Raya respected all sects of Hinduism and lavished on the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, numerous objects of priceless value, ranging from diamond studded crowns to golden swords. For this he is honored with installing his statues along with his two wives at the temple complex.These statues are still visible at the temple at the exit.
  He also contributed in building parts of Srisailam temple complex.
  Krishna Deva Raya was formally initiated into the Vaishnava Sampradaya by Tathacharya. He was also his Rajguru.When Krishnadevaraya became the ruler Tathacharya was his guru. He patronised poets and scholars in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit.
caption: Tirumala Temple and Vaikuntam Queue Complex (semicircular building in the foreground) as seen from Srivari Padalu on Narayanagiri hill
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