Surrounded by over 500 ancient monuments, beautiful temples, bustling street markets, bastions, treasury building and captivating remains of Vijayanagar Empire, Hampi is an ancient village in the south Indian state of Karnataka. A backpacker’s delight, Hampi is famous for its ruins belonging to the erstwhile medieval Hindu kingdom of Vijaynagar and it is declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The temples of Hampi, are known for their monolithic sculptures and monuments, and attract the history buffs because of their admiration for excellent workmanship of bygone era. Hampi was added to the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger in 1999, but removed in 2006 following successful conservation efforts. Hampi is dotted with numerous ruined temple complexes from the Vijayanagara Empire. Some of the most well-known temple include the one located on the south bank of the River Tungabhadra, the 7th-century Hindu Virupaksha temple, near the revived Hampi Bazaar. Another historical monument is the carved stone chariot that stands in front of the huge Vittala Temple site.
Hampi is sometimes called the Angkor Wat of India due to the sheer number of temples. Ideally tour of Hampi can be covered in 2 days, 1 day for town and temple visit and 1 day for hippie Island. Some the monuments of city, capital during Vijayanagara Empire then known as Vidyanagara were built in honour of the sage Vidyaranya were built between AD 1336-1570, from the times of Harihara-I to Sadasiva Raya. A large number of royal buildings were constructed by Krishnadeva Raya (AD 1509-30), the greatest ruler of the dynasty. Lotus Mahal or Chitrangini Mahal is an important secular structure in Hamp. The Lotus Mahal or palace is an intricately designed pavilion within a walled compound, This palace is a blend of Indo-Islamic architecture and gets its name from the lotus bud carved on its domed and vaulted ceiling. Hampi, is famous for temples. At its peak, the town of Hampi in the 14th century had a population of half a million people, which according to some accounts, made Hampi the second largest city of the world.
The Hoysala Empire and its capital Dvarasamudra in southern Karnataka was plundered and destroyed in the early 14th century by the armies of Alauddin Khalji, and again in 1326 CE by the army of Muhammad bin Tughlaq. Allthis ultimately led to the destruction and downfall of Hampi. Following the defeat of the glorious Vijayanagara empire, the army of the Sultanates plundered the beautiful city of Hampi and reduced it to ruins, in which it still remains. In spite of only the ruins that remain today Hampi is very popular in tourist circuit. The ruins of Hampi were rediscovered in 1800 by an engineer and antiquarian named Colonel Colin Mackenzie. The huge Nandi, also known as Yeduru Basavanna, is one of the highlights of the site. Distance between Bengaluru, capital of Karnataka to Hampi Is 340 Kms, well connected by rail, road and air; the fastest way to reach Hampi from Bangalore is to take flight to Hubballi Airport, then cab to Hampi. However, the best way to reach from Bangalore to Hampi is by bus to Hampi that allows you to view the picturesque surroundings while on road trip. Though the weather in Hampi does play a deciding factor and the best time to visit the ruins of Hampi is during between October and February, especially during the three day long Hampi festival held around October-November every year. It is winter at this time and the weather’s really good for roaming around the heritage site.
The temple town of Hampi is famous for numerous intricately carved historic temples namely Achyuta Raya temple, Badavilinga Temple, Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Hazara Rama temple, Yantrodharaka Hanuman temple, Virupaksha temple, Sasivekalu Ganesha temple, and Vittala temple. Among other places worth visiting are Hemakuta Hill temples. Matanga Hill, Zanana Enclosure, Elephant Stables, Mahanavmi Dibba, Pushkarani step wells, and Queen’s Bath. Hampi’s main tourist spots can be divided into two broad areas: the Hampi Bazaar area and the Royal center near Kamalapuram. There are a number of tourist attractions, within the walled area of the royal center. There are innumerable boulders around Hampi that are easy to climb to get a stunning view of Hampi site. Hemakuta Hill, south of the Virupaksha temple, contains ancient ruins, Jain temples, and a monolithic sculpture of Lord Narasimha, it also offers an excellent view of Hampi Bazaar. The west end of Hampi Bazaar area of the street is mainly filled with small shops and restaurant owners. The Archeological Museum at Kamalapuram has a good collection of sculptures belonging to the Vijaynagar Empire. Southeast of Hampi, tourists can also visit Tungabhadra dam, Sanapur lake, and Daroji Bear Sanctuary. There are numerous hotels, resorts and guesthouses in and around surrounding areas. Numerous restaurants here serve authentic Kannada cuisine. Hampi is a place that will attract you for its historic grandeur.
