Sights of Hampi, Karnataka, India

The ruins of the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire that flourished from 1343 to 1565 AD are scattered throughout the medieval city of Hampi, located on the banks of the pristine Tungabhadra river. One could spend days out here, exploring the temples and palaces, markets and rock cut monuments, riversides and rock-strewn hills. Most of the gorgeous monuments here were built by the Vijayanagara rulers, but they were destroyed, burnt and left in ruins by a coalition of Muslim sultanate armies in 1565 AD.

Hampi used to be a thriving city in its heyday in the 15th century, the largest in the world after Beijing according to some estimates, and one of the richest in India. Medieval visitors from Persia, Italy, Portugal, and other foreign lands, to the cities' many bazaars describe it as being as large as Rome, well-laid out, very beautiful to behold, and the best provided city in the world. Traces of this former grandeur are still visible as one strolls through the city, taking in its architectural delights. Hampi is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site.

The grandest of all monuments in Hampi is the Vittala Temple, for which I have done a separate post. In this post, I have put together a few photographs of some of the other attractions in Hampi. Hampi needs to be visited to be truly savoured, and if you haven't done so till now, I hope these this photo journey will inspire you to do so.

The gopurams (entrance towers) of the Virupaksha Temple, as viewed from the Hemkuta Hill. The Virupaksha Temple is the oldest shrine in Hampi, dating to the 11th century. It continues to function as a place of active worship.

A Victory Pillar (Vijay Stambha) on Hemkuta Hill, probably installed by one of the Vijayanagar rulers.

The expanse of ruined temples and monuments on Hemkuta Hill, some of which were built prior to the Vijaynagara period. The hill has more than thirty temples, together with water cisterns, gateways, and pavilions. The style of temples on the Hemakuta hill suggests it may have been a centre for experimenting with different types of Hindu temples.

A lone schoolgirl makes her way across the ruins on Hemkuta Hill.

A double-storeyed pavilion on Hemkuta Hill which might have functioned as a place of congregation.

A ruined temple on Hemkuta Hill. There were many bats inside, some of which flew out as we attempted to enter it, possibly as a warning.

One of the many water cisterns on Hemkuta Hill which have fallen into disuse. They are great for photography, though.

The Elephant stables for the royal elephants, consisting of eleven square chambers aligned north-south. The openings to the stables are arched. Each dome has a different style.

The Lotus Mahal, one of the few structures in Hampi built with bricks. It may have been a socializing area for the women folk of the royal family. Look at the wall behind the building. Its made of irregularly shaped stones, like we see in so many other places around the world.

A monolithic, 3 meters high Shiva Linga, known as the Badavilinga. The Shiva Linga stands in water in a cubical chamber, and reaches up to the ceiling. This is the biggest Shiva Linga I have seen, although I am aware that there are still bigger ones out there.

A view of the Achyutaraya Temple, nestled between the hills and forests. A local vendor told me that the forests around this place still have wild animals, including panthers. That could be the reason why I didn't see a single visitor around. I was the only one who didn't know about the panthers beforehand!

The entrance tower (gopuram) of the Achyutaraya Temple. The temple was built in 1534 AD and was dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

Wonderfully carved granite pillars in the 100-column hall of the Achyutaraya Temple.

The remains of the Achyutaraya temple, looking grand and mysterious in the background of the boulder-strewn hills.

The erstwhile Hampi bazaar. It looks desolate now, but in the 15th century AD, this was a vibrant trading place with traders coming from many foreign countries such as Persia, Italy and Portugal.

The entrance tower (gopuram) of the Krishna Temple, dated to 1515 AD.

The Tungabhadra river at sunset. The ancient name of the Tungabhdara river was Pampa, from where the name of the city Hampi has been derived.

Shiva Linga along the river bank. It is said that Shiva had married Pampa, the daughter of Brahma, and was called Pampa-pati. Hence, the close association between Shiva and the river Pampa (Tungabhadra). The style of the Shiva-linga that we see here is similar to the one that was dedicated to the deity Dushara in Petra, Jordan, as I have discussed in my article: Petra Jordan: Is it a Shiva Temple Complex?

One of the fun things to do in Hampi is to take a ride on one of the circular boats called coracles. The boatman takes you to different points on the river bank, which cannot be reached otherwise, where you find many beautiful rock-cut figures. This rock-cut image of Vishnu was on a large, half-submerged boulder.

This may be the ruins of an old temple along the river bank.The image is that of goddess Durga /Parvati.

101 Shiva Lingas. Not really sure of its significance.

1001 Shiva Lingas. I will admit, though, that I did not count and verify.

A view of the Tungabhadra river from the Hanuman Temple, which is located on top of a hill. The trek to the Hanuman Temple was tiring but totally worth it, and one of the highlights of the Hampi trip.