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The Heritage City of Hampi

Stretched on an area of more than 25 square kilometers in the state of Karnataka, the Hampi ruins is chock-a-block with giant temples, palaces, market streets, aquatic structures and ancient architectures. Explorers can sojourn into the past on a visit to the majestic Hampi.

mahanavami dibba

Initially, Hampi was the capital of the Hindu empire, Vijayanagara, who ruled the south India during 14th to 16th century AD and thus with its historic and mythological residues, this place has become a famous tourist spot. The main locations and important architectural wonders are basically located in two areas; the Royal Centre and Sacred Centre. Starting the tour from the Royal Centre one can see the palaces, baths, pavilions, royal stables and temples. The sacred centre is situated on the northern edge of the city along the banks of the Tungabhadra River.

A voyage to Hampi is fascinating enough to attract the travelers for several days. The Vittala Temple dedicated to Vittala, a form of the Hindu god Vishnu is an architectural highlight of Hampi. The Virupaksha Temple is said to be one of the oldest active temples till date. The temple complex consists of the god’s sanctum, pillared halls and a series of giant entrance towers. A visit to the Kings Palace is the must as this place is known for its interesting architecture elements. The Queen’s bath is also a fascinating example of the Indo-Islamic hybrid architecture. Whereas the Riverside trek Path which connects the ancient Hampi Bazaar to the Vittala temple has copious shrines and carved artifacts scattered all around along this path.

The Hemakuta Hill Temples is another important mythological site in the local folklore, which has numerous temples on hill top. The Majestic Hampi famous for its religious and mythological temples also accommodates temples like the Krishna temple, Lakshmi Narasimha, Hazara Rama Temple, Pattabhirama Temple and Achyuta Raya’s Temple. The additional attractions of Hampi includes an metaphorical structure which was probably used by the military chief as his office or the queens of the palace as a pleasure pavilion named as the Lotus mahal. While the Elephant Stables build in a series of chambers with domical roofs has enough space to accommodate two elephants.

Pushkarni, a stepped water tanks, exhumed in the mid-1980 is lyrical in its beauty, beautifully build in a tiered structure crafted from rectangular pieces of granite. A trip to the majestic Hampi is truly an unforgettable experience ultimately.