"This building stands on pillars shaped like elephants and with other figures, and all open in front, and they go up to it by staircases of stones around it; underneath, is a terrace paved with very good flagstones, where stand some of the people looking at the feast. This house is called the House of Victory as it was made when the king came back from the war against Oriya (Orissa)"
- Eyewitness account of the Mahanamavi festival by Domingo Pages on 12 September 1520
Today all that remains, is the majestic platform. Built in multiple layers over a period of time, while impressive overall, lacks finesse in it's carvings. At the top of its splendor, In its hey days, the platform was known to have a 7 storey building, though that theory does not seem to hold water as the platform does not have sufficient floor area to sustain such height.
A scene depicting an elephant trampling a royal patron. The event probably had deep circumstantial ramification as this event has been repeated about 22 times elsewhere in Hampi.
Similarly a scene which shows a tiger attacking the elephant of a royal processions. 
Could the two scenes be the connected?
Is that what got the elephant wild?
Two hunting scenes. The one of the right caught my eye as one can clearly see a "coptic cross". Shivraj explained that the symbol stood for water and 
probably signified a watering hole.
Surprisingly, next day, I found a tank with a similar shape outside the Vitthala temple.
Ala-ud-din Khilji's, as a part of his 1290 invasion, introduced horses to the warfare significantly changing both the intensity of the encounters and escalating the cost.
The rulers of Vijayanagar maintained relationships with European and Turkish traders for a constant supply of good horses. Krishnadevaraya held important harbors in Malabar (Mumbai) to keep an eye on the horse trade.
Anti-clockwise from top left:
1. Soldiers with Portuguese muskets .
2. Training war elephants
3. Infantry practicing swordsmanship
4. Horse traders from Arabia
5. Training the cavalry
Dancing courtesans and musicians. The last panel shows Arabic horse traders with their pointed hats and beards.
And lastly, the amorous royal couple.
Tip: The southern wall has, relatively, the more intricate carving. The platform is best visited in the evening with the sun behind you making photography easier.
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