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Travel back in time as you step into Hampi’s boulder-strewn landscape, along the banks of the Tungabhadra river. Trek the trails to the remnants of elegance and magnificence of the Vijayanagar Empire and behold breathtaking bird’s eye views of the city. Revel in the tranquil sunrise and sunsets to pause, breathe and take in the stories of the past enveloped in the beauty of the present.
Hampi, the capital city of the erstwhile Vijayanagar empire, founded by Harihara and Bukka in 1336, fell to the Muslim rulers of the Deccan in 1565, and was pillaged over a period of six months before being abandoned. However, the ruins of this once majestic city has withstood the ravages of time, and gives us a glimpse into the grandeur of the forgotten empire.
Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this historic town is also the “World’s Largest Open-air Museum” and covers an area of nearly 29 sq km. Vijayanagara Empire at its peak was believed to be larger than Rome with palaces grander than ones in Lisbon. The city’s merchants supposedly traded in diamonds, pearls, horses, fine silks and brocades.
“The city is such that the pupil of the eye has never seen a place like it, and the ear of intelligence has never been informed that there existed anything to equal it in the world”, marvelled a 15th century Persian ambassador Abdul Razaak. There were opulent palaces, marvelous temples, massive fortifications, baths, markets, aquaducts, pavilions, stables for royal elephants, and elegantly carved pillars.
Most of the important structures and ruins are located in two areas, which are generally referred to as the Royal Centre and the Sacred Centre. The Royal Centre in the south west part of the site contains structures that seem to have been palaces, baths, pavilions, royal stables and temples for ceremonial use. The Sacred Centre stretches around the Virupaksha Temple and the Hampi Bazaar area and is along the banks of the holy Tungabhadra River.
The ruins of Hampi are extensive and fascinating enough to absorb your attention for several days. The best way to experience this UNESCO World Heritage Site is to take a leisurely stroll or a bicycle/ bike ride through the ruins. If you are hard pressed for time, a day or two will suffice to see all the important structures. However, photographers, archaeology buffs, yoga enthusiasts and trekkers should plan on staying a little longer.
One of the oldest and principal temples in Hampi, Virupaksha Temple is a pilgrimage centre for the worshipers of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Pampa Devi. It’s imposing Gopura, the nine-storey tower at a height of 165 ft, is one of the highest in Karnataka. The main attraction here is the ornate central mantapa with paintings covering the ceiling, depicting epics and puranas and a unique three-faced Nandi image. The marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Pampa is still recreated annually in the colourful Kalyana Mantapa. One of the earliest examples of a pinhole camera can be seen at the temple, with the inverted image of the main gopura, projected on the wall of a side passage around the shrine. The temple is a treasure trove of history as parts of it pre-date even the Vijayanagara Empire.
A short climb from the Virupaksha Temple is the Hemakuta Hill, where you will come across a large number of monuments like temples, archways and pavilions. It is one of the best viewpoints to behold the magical sunrise and sunset. Legend has it that it is here where Lord Shiva undertook penance before marrying Goddess Parvathi.
Two Ganesha images (Sasuvekalu and Kadalekalu) can be seen on the slopes of the Hemakuta Hill. The Kadalekalu Ganesha (Gram Seed Ganesha) is the largest Ganesha statue in Karnataka, dating back to 1440 with a height of 18 ft. The giant statue was carved out of a single huge boulder, and the temple comprising 24 pillars protects it. Nearby is the Sasivekalu (Mustard Seed) Ganesha that gets its name from the resemblance of the rounded toes to mustard seeds. This 9 ft Ganesha statue was built in 1516. Behind the image, there is an outline of a woman, which symbolizes Goddess Parvathi’s eternal presence to protect her son.
The Achyutaraya Temple is tucked behind the imposing Matanga Hill with an elaborate temple complex and the ruined market street in front of it. Ruins of two massive towers, one behind the other, give way to the temple courtyards.
Being at the centre of Hampi and also the highest point, Matanga hilltop is the best spot to get an aerial view of Hampi and its surrounding areas. The trek to the top of the hill gives an unobtrusive view of the area, extending to the river, including the Achyutaraya Temple.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Rama and is situated opposite Chakratirtha, a sacred bathing ghat of the Tungabhadra River. The garbhagriha has 15 ft standing figures of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana carved on a boulder. It is also believed that Lord Rama crowned Sugreeva as the monkey king at this spot.
The Vijaya Vittala Temple is Hampi’s crowning glory. Well-known for its exceptional architecture and unmatched craftsmanship, the temple exemplifies the Vijayanagara Empire at the peak of its glory. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu in the form of Vittala, the main structure features a 100-pillared Sabha Mantapa and a Kalyana Mantapa.
The Dancing Hall in the complex houses the most fascinating and famous part of the temple—the 56 musical pillars that resonate to the seven musical notes of the Indian musical scale and musical instruments, when tapped. It’s a magnificent demonstration of the Vijayanagara artisans’ mastery in stone carving and in the science of acoustics. However, at present ASI doesn’t permit visitors to tap the pillars.
The magnificent ‘Stone Chariot’ in front of the temple, is in itself a miniature temple, dedicated to Garuda, Lord Vishnu’s vehicle and is believed to have been carved out of a single rock. This Stone Chariot is one among the three famous chariots in India; one in Konark and other one in Mahabalipuram.
South-west of the Vijaya Vittala Temple, the Tulabhara is a giant pair of scales, where the kings of Vijayanagara used to weigh themselves in gold, precious stones etc during festivals and important days. The same used to be distributed to the Brahmin priests and the needy.
The King’s palace served as the abode for the King of the Vijayanagara Empire and is believed to be one of the most imposing structures in Hampi. All that now remains of the grand palace is its base and an underground chamber that is believed to be a treasury and private audience hall. The base has elaborate carvings on all sides.
This 6.7 metre monolith statue of Lord Narasimha, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, speaks volumes about craftsmanship and passion of Vijayanagara artisans. Seated on the coil of Adisesha, the celestial seven-hooded snake, this half-man half-lion avatar still bewitches travellers from around the world. Originally, it is believed that the structure had four arms with the image of Goddess Lakshmi on the left thigh, but it was vandalised during the invasion of Muslim rulers of the Deccan.
Located next to the Lakshmi Narasimha statue and dedicated to Lord Shiva, Badavilinga Temple houses a three meter high monolithic Shiva Linga inside a small stone chamber. The stone chamber is designed without a ceiling to allow the passage of sunlight. The base of the Shiva Linga stands permanently in water that flows around it.
This structure has a very plain exterior but the interior is stunningly ornate, with graceful arched corridors, projecting balconies and lotus-shaped fountains that used to spout perfumed water for the ladies of the court.
This was a royal temple reserved for ceremonial use. The entire temple is embellished with bas-relief depicting scenes from the epic Ramayana. The walls of the enclosure are richly carved with friezes depicting processions of horses, elephants, dancing girls, and soldiers attired in splendid weaponry. Inside, four exquisitely sculpted granite pillars add to the beauty of the Ardha Mantapa.
Lotus Mahal is a graceful two-storied structure, with open pavilions at the bottom and balconies above. The Lotus Mahal is a pleasant departure from the typical architecture in Hampi and is an elegant example of the fusion of the Hindu and Islamic styles of architecture. The Mahal, with its beautifully carved walls and pillars, derives its name from its beautiful, geometrically arranged cusped arches that resemble the petals of a lotus flower opening to the Sun.
The Elephant Stable is an impressive structure built during the reign of the Vijayanagara Empire to provide shelter for the royal elephants of the kingdom. This Indo-Islamic structure has 11 massive rooms with arched entrances, some of which are interconnected. The intricate design and emphasis on little details indicate the importance that was attached to the royal elephants of the empire.
Pushkaranis are sacred water tanks attached to temples where devotees used to take a dip to purify the body and soul. Almost lyrical in its beauty, the tiered structure of the stepped water tank is an ode to symmetry. The sides are crafted out of rectangular pieces of granite. It was originally a part of the palace complex and was excavated in the mid-1980s.
Mahanavami Dibba is a beautiful stone platform located within the royal enclosure of Hampi. It was here where the Kings of Vijayanagara used to celebrate the festival of Vijayanagara Dasara. The stone platform is about 12 m high with three layers that are richly decorated with beautiful carvings. The platform sports densely carved bands of horses, soldiers and depictions of the various aspects of courtly life.
Just across the Tungabhadra River is the fortress town Anegundi, pre-dating Vijayanagara and the city’s 14th century headquarters. More ancient than Hampi, Anegundi lies in the mythical kingdom of Kishkinda, ruled by monkey king Sugriva (from the Epic Ramayana). The Anjaneya Hill is, believed to be the birthplace of the monkey god Hanuman, can be easily spotted from Anegundi, thanks to the temple at the hilltop and a white trail of steps zigzagging all the way to the top. Anegundi and its tranquil surroundings are dotted with forgotten temples and fortifications. The dilapidated Huchappayana Matha Temple, near the river, is worth a visit for its black stone lathe-turned pillars and fine panels of dancers. The other places of tourist interest are the sacred Pampa Sarovar, Aramane (a ruined palace) and the Ranganatha Temple.
Daroji Bear Sanctuary, spread over 82.7 square kilometers is exclusively maintained for the protection of the giant Indian Sloth Bears abundantly found in the area. Sightings from machans are normally organized in the evenings as these bears are mostly nocturnal. Home to a large number of free ranging bears, the sanctuary also has hyenas, wild boars, pangolins, porcupines, jackals and leopards. Other denizens include star tortoise, monitor lizard and rock agama. A drive through the scrub jungle also provides opportunities to sight endemic species of birds such as the painted spurfowl, yellow throated bulbul, sand grouse, stone curlew and peafowl.
Located at the edge of the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, is a property of Jungle Lodges & Resorts – The Hampi Heritage & Wilderness Resort which provides accommodation facilities and safari rides.
The Tungabhadra Dam is constructed across the Tungabhadra river and is over a kilometer in length. It is a multipurpose dam serving irrigation, electricity generation, flood control, etc. Species such as flamingos, storks and spot-billed pelicans can be spotted at the site. To help tourists enjoy the scenery, the area adjacent to the dam site has been turned into an attractive tourist spot with Japanese style terraced gardens, deer park, a view tower and an aquarium.
The ruins of Hampi come alive with the music and dance, when the State Government holds the Hampi Utsav to recreate the grandeur of the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire. It is believed that the Utsava is celebrated from the time of the Vijayanagara Empire and hence might be one of the oldest celebrations/festivals in India. Today, the utsava captures the pomp, splendor and glory of the Vijayanagara empire. The festival includes lighting up of the prominent monuments in Hampi, Jumbo Savari (elephant procession), performances by some of India’s most celebrated singers, dancers and performers, a kite festival, water sports, food courts, photography competition, rangoli/ mehendi competition etc.
Kinhal wood carving is the lacquerware woodcraft that is synonymous to the region in and around Hampi. It takes its name from a small town in the nearby Koppal district. The craft was highly patronized by the Vijayanagara kings. Using a paste of tamarind seeds and pebbles to stick carved parts of wood, the artists create exquisite figurines and idols. A mixture of pebble powder and liquid gum is then used to sculpt ornaments and jewellery on these figures. The unique designs of the Kinhal art are characterized by its vibrant colours and intricate designs. Kinhal toys also has a Geographical Indication (GI) tag under the World Trade Organisation.
Hampi has immense potential for exploration, and what is absolutely essential to enjoy this adventure through the ruins is a safe and comfortable place to come back to.
Mayura Bhuvaneshwari Hampi, located in Kamalapur, is the only hotel situated within the core area of the World Heritage Site. The hotel offers hygienic, comfortable, air-conditioned rooms with a suite, deluxe or semi-deluxe option as well as dormitories.
Guests can relish the local delicacies along with a variety of Indian and continental cuisine at the restaurant. Sight-seeing trips, transport and tourist guides can be organized by the staff if required.
Mayura Vijayanagara TB Dam, located beside the TB Dam, this inn is placed in a serene and green environment. The hotel offers both AC and Non-AC rooms, a restaurant and a beer parlour. While the ruins are easily accessible from both these KSTDC properties, the staff, who are locals from these areas, can direct you to spots and trails in and around town that might interest you. They can also arrange transportation facilities, or design customized package tours if required.
You can either enquire at the front desk or fill the details in the link below and KSTDC will customise a package exclusively for you.
For reservations/ enquiries, please log on to www.kstdc.co or call Mob: 8970650070/75 Tel: +91 80 4334 4334