(a)    According to local tradition, temple halls sheltered the monkey kingdom of Vali and Sugriva mentioned in the Ramayana. Other traditions suggest that Pampadevi, the local mother goddess did penance in these halls in order to marry Virupaksha, the guardian diety of the kingdom, also recognised as a form of Shiva.

(b)    Temple building in the region had a long history, going back to dynasties such as the Pallavas, Chalukyas, Hoysalas and Cholas. Rulers very often encouraged temple building as a means of associating themselves with the divine — often, the deity was explicity or implicity identified with the king. Temples also functioned as centres of learning.

(c)    It is likely that the very choice of the site of Vijayanagara was inspired by the existence of the shrines of Virupaksha and Pampadevi. In fact the Vijayanagara kings claimed to rule on behalf of the god Virupaksha. All royal orders were signed “Shri Virupaksha”, usually in the Kannada script.

(d)    In terms of temple architecture, by this period certain new features were in evidence. These included structures of immense scale that must have been a mark of imperial authority, best exemplified by the raya gopurams or royal gateways that often dwarfed the towers on the central shrines, and signalled the presence of the temple from a great distance. They were also probably meant as reminders of the power of kings, able to command the resources, techniques and skills needed to construct these towering gateways. Other distinctive features include mandapas or pavilions and long, pillared corridors that often ran around the shrines within the temple complex.

(e)    The halls in the temple were used for a variety of purposes. Some were spaces in which the images of gods were placed to witness special programmes of music, dance, drama, etc. Others were used to celebrate the marriages of deities, and yet others were meant for the deities to swing in.

 Alvars were saints who were devoted to Vishnu.

The alvars, were Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused bhakti (devotion) to the Hindu Supreme god Vishnu or his avatar Krishna in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service. They are venerated especially in Vaishnavism, which regards Vishnu or Krishna as the Supreme Being.

Rumors and prophesies played a part in moving people to action:
(i) They told that bullets coated with the fat of cows & pigs and that biting those bullets would corrupt their caste and religion. They were referring to the cartridges of the Enfield rifles which had just been given to them.
(ii) The rumours said, the British had mixed the bone dust of cows and pigs into the flour that was sold in the market. In towns and cantontments, sepoys and the common people refused to touch the atta.
(iii) There was fear and suspicion that the British wanted to convert Indians to Christianity.
(iv) The response to the call for action was reinforced by the prophecy that British rule would come to an end on the centenary of the Battle of Plassey, on 23 June 1857.

Khilafat Movement (1919)
After the World War I, several humiliating allegations were placed on the Caliph and the Ottoman Empire. The Muslims became fearful for the safety of their Caliph and launched khilafat movement under the guidance of Gandhi to fight against the British government to restore the collapsing status of the Caliph in Turkey. Gandhi approached the Muslim community in 1919 for their political support in India’s freedom struggle and in return supported the community in launching the Khilafat movement. He became a notable spokesperson of the All India Muslim Conference and returned the medals received from the British Empire in South Africa. The success of this movement made him the national leader in no time.

Quit India Movement (1942)
Quit India movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi on 8th August 1942 during the second world war in order to drive British rule out of India. The India Congress Committee, under the insistence of Gandhi, demanded a mass British withdrawal from India and Gandhi delivered a “Do or Die” speech. As a consequence, the entire members of the Indian National Congress were immediately arrested by the British officials and imprisoned without trial. But the demonstrations and protests continued across the country. Even though the Britishers were somehow successful in suppressing the Quit India Movement but soon realized that their days of the rule in India were over. By the end of the World War II, they made clear indications of handing over the powers to India. Eventually, Gandhi called off the movement resulting in the release of thousands of prisoners.