Hampi is the Vijayanagar capital (one of the largest empires
in the history of India), in it's ruins of temples,
palaces and forts. Hampi was the 14th century magnificent
capital of one of the greatest empires of the world.
Hampi is full of surprises. A strange and magical
place, Hampi is one of the most beautiful towns in
Karnataka. Hampi is famous for its ruins belonging
to the erstwhile medieval Hindu kingdom of Vijaynagar
and it is declared a World Heritage site. The temples
of Hampi, its monolithic sculptures and monuments,
attract the traveler because of their excellent workmanship.
The Hindu style of architecture found at Hampi reflects
the splendor of the Vijaynagar Empire. The rugged
landscape adds to the historic ambience of this site.
It was the capital of the mighty Vijayanagar empire
founded in 1336.
Hampi is located in the central
part of the state of Karnataka, in the southern
part of India. It is 353 km from Bangalore, and
13 km from Hospet. It is located on top of a rugged
terrain and is 467 m above sea level. It is protected
by the tempestuous Tungabhadra river on the north
and by rocky granite ridges on the three sides.
Covering an area of about 26 kms, the ruins are
situated in the midst of a rugged landscape. Hampi is like a Open -air museume
of temples, The Virupaksha Temple rises majestically,
at the western end of a 700 m long street, that
was once the famous Hampi bazaar. Nearby is the
6.7 m tall monolith of Ugra Narasimha or Lakshmi
Narasimha, is located in the south of the Hemakuta
group of temples that includes the Virupaksha Temple.
The Narasimha is a four-armed figure seated under
the canopy of a seven-hooded snake. But by far the
most amazing monument in Hampi, is the Vittala Temple
Complex, with its 56 musical pillars. Legend has
it, Lord Vishnu found it too grand to live in and
thus, returned to his own 'humble home'.To the east
of the complex is the famous Stone Chariot, with
stone wheels, that actually rotates.
History
Hampi, are one of the most fascinating historical
sites in south India. The superb ruins are set in
a strange and beautiful boulderstrewn landscape
which has an almost magical quality.The first settlement
in Hampi dates back to 1st century AD and a number
of Buddhist sites belonging to that time have been
found nearby. Hampi was the capital of the mighty
Vijaynagar Empire. Vijaynagar was one of the largest
Hindu empires in India. The brothers Harihara and
Bukka established the Vijayanagar Empire in 1336.
In an age when the powerful Mughal army of the north
was stamping its authority on almost the entire
subcontinent, this southern Hindu kingdom proved
too difficult to crack. In 1509-29 during the reign
of Krishnadevaraya the empire reached the pinnacle
of its influence economically, militarily and culturally,
the legacy of which abides till date. In 1565 the end came swiftly. Unable
to withstand the combined assault of the neighboring
Muslim kingdoms, Hampi fell at the battle of Talikota.
From then it was only a matter of time before the
conquering forces made rapid inroads into the rest
of the empire. The ruins of Hampi are extremely
popular with tourists who flock here to soak in
a sense of the past; and in every ‘reliving’, this
seemingly dead city lives again Hampi is one of the important pilgrimage
center for both Hindus and Jains. It is stated that
this was the place called kiskindha of Ramanaya
the birth place of Lord Hanuman.
Architecture
The Hindu kingdom of Vijaynagar was founded in 1336,
with its capital at Hampi. This city is easily one
of the most beautiful, extensive and fascinating
cities of India's ruined kingdoms. Vijaynagar reached
its peak in the early 1550s, but in 1565 fell to
the Deccan Sultanates, when Bijapur gained importance
as the capital of this kingdom. Today, Bijapur is
a small city surrounded by an imposing wall, and
packed with an impressive collection of mosques
and other reminders of its glorious past. This windswept little village was
once the centre of a vibrant, thriving culture that
enriched the entire region with carved temples and
rock-cut magnificence.All the outer side of the gate of
the temple up to the roof is covered with copper
and gilded, and on each side of the roof on the
top are certain great animals that look like tigers,
all gilt. As you enter this idol shrine, you perceive
from pillar to pillar on which it is supported many
little holes in which stand oil lamps which burn
every night and they will be in number 2,500 or
3,000".The pillared interior echoes with
the murmur of voices and the squeak of bats suspended
in the dark recesses. Eyes sweep the walls with
silent reverence, hands tap the hollow pillars that
were played like musical instruments. Outside, the
granite chariot of the sun god proudly stands in
a central courtyard. Its stone wheels could still
be turned by hand till a few years ago when the
authorities sealed them to prevent damage. The architecture
of the Vitthala Temple strikes a fascinating balance
between delicate craftsmanship and awesome presence.Against the gate there were two
circles in which there were the dancing women, richly
arrayed with many jewels of gold and diamonds and
many pearls. Opposite the gate there are two buildings...these
buildings were all hung with rich cloths, both the
walls and the ceilings, and the cloths of the walls
were adorned with figures in the manner of embroidery;
these buildings have two platforms one above the
other, beautifully sculpted, with their sides well
made and worked. On the upper platform close to
the king was Christovao de Figrueiredo (another
Portuguese traveler), for the king commanded that
he should be put in a place as best to see the feasts
and magnificence". Now in a damaged state, the awesome
image depicts the benign aspect of the god since
a part of the right hand goddess Lakshmi skirts
around the Narasimha suggesting that goddess Lakshmi
was originally seated on his lap. The monolith's
disfigured but its significance is undisputed. Now
in a damaged state, the awesome image depicts the
benign aspect of the god since a part of the right
hand goddess Lakshmi skirts around the Narasimha
suggesting that goddess Lakshmi was originally seated
on his lap. The monolith's disfigured but its significance
is undisputed.
Places to see
Tungabhadra Dam (17 Km)
15 km from Hospet is the site of the dam built across
the Tungabhadra river. The high masonry dam is about
590 metres long and 49 metres high. The reservoir
has a storage ca[acity of 1,32,559 million cu.ft.
of water spread over an area of 379 sq. kms.Regular
bus services are available from Hospet.Hampi Bazaar has almost returned
to former glory with the old buildings being functional
again. Traders once more ply their wares but now
its mostly branded, packaged, with ‘sales tax extra’!
This area has a charm of its own and much of it
has to do with the fascinating phenomenon of renaissance.The town of Hospet, which is 13
km from Hampi, is an important tourist center. Travelers
can have a panoramic view of surrounding areas from
the 49-m-high and 2-km-long Tungabhadra Dam, 6 km
from Hospet.
Main attraction
In Hampi (Jan-Feb), the Virupaksha Temple Car Festival
is held, which is quite famous. The annual Purandaradasa
Aradhana Music festival at Vithala Temple to celebrate
the birth anniversary of the medieval poet-composer,
Purandar.
