Thanjavur painting is a classical South Indian style from the town of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, and its surfaces are built to catch the light. Artists lay delicate raised gesso on wooden planks, then press gold foil onto it and inlay glass beads, and very occasionally precious or semi-precious stones. The subjects are mostly Hindu gods, goddesses and saints, placed in the centre of the picture within an architectural frame and surrounded by smaller figures from Puranas and temple stories. The style absorbed influences from Deccani, Vijayanagara, Maratha and European painting, and it is recognised as a Geographical Indication of India. Its name, palagai padam, means picture on a wooden plank.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.