The term "royal centre" is both appropriate and somewhat limiting as a description for the south-western part of the Vijayanagara settlement.

On one hand, the designation seems justified. About thirty building complexes have been identified as palaces — relatively large structures that clearly served royal residential and administrative purposes. The mahanavami dibba located here appears to have been the centre of elaborate royal rituals. The Lotus Mahal, one of the most beautiful buildings in this area, may have served as a council chamber where the king met his advisers. The elephant stables, located close to the Lotus Mahal, further indicate the presence of royal grandeur and military might.

However, the term "royal centre" does not capture the complete character of this zone. The area included over sixty temples, which is significant because patronage of temples and cults was crucial for rulers seeking to establish and legitimise their authority through association with divinities. This suggests that the sacred and the royal were deliberately intermingled rather than kept separate.

Furthermore, many structures in the royal centre remain enigmas. Scholars have noted that the space surrounding the mahanavami dibba seems inadequate for the elaborate processions of armed men, women, and animals described in accounts.

Thus, while "royal centre" appropriately highlights the political and administrative significance of this zone, it somewhat obscures its equally important religious dimension. The rulers of Vijayanagara strategically blended royal authority with sacred legitimacy, making this area both a centre of power and devotion.