The history of the temple has been uninterrupted since around the seventh century. The sanctuary Virupaksha-Pampa existed long before the capital city of Vijayanagara was located here. Inscriptions referring to Shiva date back to the 9th and 10th centuries. Under the Vijayanagara rulers what began as a small shrine grew into a large complex. Evidence suggests that in the late Chalukyan and Hoysala periods there were additions to the temple, while most of the temple buildings are traced to the time of Vijayanagar. Lakkana Dandesha, a chieftain under the ruler Deva Raya II of the Vijayanagara Empire, constructed the huge temple building.
Under the Vijayanagara rulers a flourishing of native art and culture started in the middle of the 14th century. By the time Muslim invaders defeated the rulers in the 16th century, most of the marvelous decorative structures and creations were systematically destroyed.The Virupaksha-Pampa religious sect did not end with the town's destruction in 1565. Over the years, adoration there has continued. There were significant renovations and additions at the beginning of the 19th century which included ceiling paintings and the north and east gopura towers.
The main temple currently consists of a sanctum, three ante chambers, a pillared hall, and a pillared hall. It is adorned with pillars which are delicately carved. The temple is surrounded by a pillared cloister, entry walls, courtyards, smaller shrines and other buildings.The nine-tiered eastern gateway is well-proportioned and integrates several earlier structures, which is the tallest at 50 metres. It has a superstructure of brick, and a foundation of stone. It gives entry to the outer court, which includes several sub-shrines.
The smaller easterly gateway leads with its many smaller shrines to the inner court. A narrow Tungabhadra River channel flows along the terrace of the temple and then goes down to the temple-kitchen and out through the outer courtyard.
The temple continues to flourish and draws large crowds in December for the Virupaksha and Pampa betrothal and marriage festivities.