Hampi

Hampi

Hampi - situated near Hospet, along the Tungbhadra river; was the capital of great Vijayanagara empire. Presently it's situated in the lately formed Vijayanagara District, formed on Nov, 23 2020 as the 31th district of Karnataka.

It is surrounded by 500 ancient monuments, beautiful temples, bustling street markets, bastions, treasury building and captivating remains of Vijayanagar Empire.

Hampi was known by different names in different times as Pampa region, Bhaskar region, Hampe etc. In the era of Ramayana Hampi was also known as "Kiskindha".

Hampi is the world largest open air museum. At its pinnacle Vijayanagara Empire was very prosperous and believed to be larger than Rome with palaces grander than of Lisbon.

Hampi is a Unesco Heritage site. According to some accounts after Beijing Hampi was the world second largest medieval era city. In 1565 Vijayanagara empire was defeated by deccan Muslim confederacy, looted over duration of six months & then demolished.

Vijayanagara Empire

Vijayanagara Empire was founded by two brothers Harihar & Bukka in 1336.Formaly both brothers were imprisoned by Mohmad-Bin-Tuglaq & forcely converted into Islam religion. Vidharanya reconverted both into Hindu religion. This Great Hindu Empire was located (based) in deccan region of South India. The empire felt it's dominance in the reign of Krishna Deva Raya(1509-1529 CE). ।

Vijayanagara Architecture

Its style is a combination of the Chalukya, Hoysala, Pandya, and Chola styles .The Dravidian style of architecture was used in temples of Vijayanagara.

Places to Visit:-

1. Hemkuta hill temples

‌ 2. Virupaksha temple

‌[3].Matanga hill

‌[4].Achyut Raya temple

‌[5].Vithala temple

‌[6]. Badavilinga temple

‌[7]. Lakshmi Narasimha temple.

‌[8].Hazara rama temple

‌[8]. Pushkarni step wells.

‌[9].Elephant stables

‌[10].Zanana enclosure

Lakshmi Narasimha Temple

Temple

‌Lies on the way to the Virupaksha temple, the 6-7 m high monolithic statue of Lakshmi Narasimha represents Lord Narasimha an avtar(incarnation) of Lord Vishnu. Today we only Lord Narasimha sitting in a cross legged lotus yoga position under the hood of the seven headed Seshnaga. Genuinely there was an idol of goddess Lakshmi sitting with Lord Narasimha. After the fall of Vijayanagara empire the idol was vandalized & today only her hand resting on his back in an embracing pospose remained today.

Vitthla Temple

‌Also referred as Vijaya Vitthla temple, this temple was built in 15th century in the reign of King Devraya ||. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vithla an incarcarnation of Lord Vishnu. Temple was built in Dravion style of architecture. The temple represents the zenith or peak of the Vijayanagara temple architecture. This magnificent temple is associated with Kalyana Mandapa & Utsava Mandapa.

Virupaksha temple

One of the oldest building of its region Virupaksha temple is situated in Hampi bazaar. The main temple is dedicated to Virupaksha, incarcarnation of Lord Shiva.

Koti linga

Pushkarni

Badavilinga temple

The largest monolithic shiva statue in Hampi.

Hemkuta hills

Situated just beside the Virupaksha temple, a flight of stairs just outside the temple main door will lead you to the Hemakuta hills. Numerous small structures, mandapas, shrines are scattered all over the hill adding a lot of character to the overall view. It is one of the main spots to watch a dramatic sunset over the boulders of Hampi. You can see the main Virupaksha temple complex from atop this hill and enjoy the magic hours of setting sun.

The magnificence of the ruins of temples and other structures of Vijayanagar, dating back to 1500 AD, is the main attraction of this place.
Anyone can be easily find innumerable boulders around Hampi that are easy to climb. One can get a stunning view of the ruins spread around Hampi by mounting one of the boulders.Thats why Hampi is considered as the bouldering capital of India.
One should visit Hampi during the three days long Hampi festival which held around October-November per year.
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