The private royal chapel of the Vijayanagara kings, built by Krishnadevaraya in the 15th century. It sits between the royal enclosure and the zenana enclosure — the heart of the imperial precinct — and was used exclusively by the king and court rather than the general public. The name means "thousand Ramas," a reference to the repeated Rama figures carved across the walls.
The outer walls carry one of the most complete narrative sculptural programmes of any Vijayanagara temple: thousands of figures in continuous relief friezes tell the story of the Ramayana on all four sides of the compound. The inner shrine walls are equally detailed. The temple is smaller than Vittala but arguably more sophisticated in its sculptural ambition; it rewards slow, careful looking.