Ruins of Hampi

Ruins of Hampi Overview

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located near Hosapete in Bellary district of Karnataka, India. It was the Capital city of Hindu Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century which was the last great Hindu kingdom in South India. It includes "forts, riverside features, royal and sacred complexes, temples, shrines, pillared halls, mandapas, memorial structures, water structures and others". The City was built on the bank of river Tungabhadra. The Vijayanagara Empire was defeated by a coalition of Muslim sultanates; its capital was conquered and destroyed by sultanate armies in 1565, after which Hampi remained in ruins. But the ruins are yet still stand tall, looks stunning and gives the glimpse of the richness and culture of the great Hindu Empire. Hampi is charismatic even in its ruined state. Hampi, also known as Pampa-kshetra, Kishkindha-kshetra or Bhaskara-kshetra, is derived from Pampa, which is the old name of the Tungabhadra River. Virupaksha Temple, Vittala Temple, Hampi Bazaar, Queen’s Bath, Stone chariot at Vitthala temple, Elephant stable, Lotus Mahal are some of the must visit attractions in hampi. One can enjoy the specacular views of the ruins of Hampi from top the of Hemakuta and Matanga hills near by along with sunset and sunrise. Hampi is located at approx 12km from Hosapete, 61km from Bellary, 164km from Hubli, 342km from Bengaluru, 327km from Goa, 371km from Hyderabad, 534km from Pune, 563km from Chennai.