Abhilashitartha Chintamani, also known as
Manasollasa, compiled by the Kalyan Chalukya king Someshwara III, dedicated a complete chapter to the techniques and making of mural paintings (
bhitti chitra). The Vijayanagara kings continued the patronisation of the mural painting tradition. Foreign travel accounts about Hampi say that many temples and palaces were decorated with paintings.
Hampi was an important religious centre even before the Vijayanagara period. God Virupaksha, a focal point of the Vijayanagara Hampi city, has been mentioned in Kalyan Chalukya inscriptions. The 12th century Kannada literary laureates Harihara and Raghavanka lived in Hampi. Harihara was responsible for composing the work on Girija Kalyana, the marriage of Lord Shiva and Girija, inspired by Kalidasa's