Hampi is an ancient city of Karnataka, which was earlier the capital city of the Vijayanagara Empire. Hampi was the largest Hindu kingdom of medieval India. It is situated on the banks of the river Tungabhadra in Bellary district of Karnataka.

Earlier, when the Vijayanagara rulers selected this site as the capital of their kingdom, it was known as Vijayanagar which means city of victory. One can see the glimpses of royalty and common man living in medieval South India while visiting Hampi. Therefore, this place is regarded as the archaeologist`s paradise and the historian`s eldorado. The town-planning, temple-architecture, sculpture and other allied arts of the city had reached a very high quality and it is quite visible.

The city of Hampi was visited by people from Rome, Persia and other countries in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries A.D. But unfortunately it was plundered, ravaged and ransacked by the armies of the Muslim Sultanates of the Deccan area in 1565 A.D., after the Vijayanagara monarch Rama Raya lost in Talikota. There are also beautiful temples, which display the grandeur in stone, which the Vijayanagara architects and sculptors achieved. But now, no worship is conducted in these temples as the principal icons were damaged. The most wonderful temple here in Hampi is the Vitthala temple built by Krishnadeva Raya in the 16th century A.D. One of the unique characteristics of this shrine is the temple chariot, which was made of a single piece of stone. Now, it is in almost ruined condition and the wheels are said to be moved very recently. This temple also contains large number of lean pillars, which produce musical notes of different frequency when tapped. Therefore, they are called `musical pillars`, which were made of resonant stones.

The Achyuta Raya temple is another important site here in Hampi. It was almost damaged by the devastation caused in 1565 A.D. Some other temples of the city, which attracts hundreds of visitors, include the Krishna temple, Hazara Rama temple, and the Vimpaksha temple. The Vimpaksha temple is the only flourishing shrine in which daily pujas and ceremonies are being conducted throughout the year even today.

One can also find some secular monuments in Hampi like the elephant stables, the Lotus Mahal and the zenana enclosures (for the royal ladies) which bear the stamp of Indo Muslim architecture. The Vijayanagara monarchs and the Bahmani Sultans were always busy in war with each other but few features of Islamic architecture were incorporated into some structures in Hampi.

The water tanks of various sizes are one of the interesting features of the Hampi city. Several canals were also constructed in the city to bring water from the Tungabhadra River following, which is flowing adjacent to the city. In recent years, the archaeologists have revealed a very beautiful stepped tank in Hampi. This octagonal tank was used for the royal bath. There is a structure called the Queen`s bath in Hampi, where along with some of the numerous water bodies in this place, the summer-temperatures raises to uncomfortable limits.

The Maha Navami Dibba is one of the renowned structures of Hampi. It is a high platform, which is 80 square feet in area and 22 feet in height and is believed to have been constructed by Krishnadeva Raya in memory of his take over of Orissa. It is said that the Vijayanagara kings used to sit on this platform to observe the grand procession during Maha Navami (Navaratri or Dusshera). It is described intensely by the foreign travellers to this city.

Hampi is also well known for the several monolithic sculptures of various Hindu deities. These were made of granite and are available in plenty in this rocky place. There are also huge sculptures of Nandi, Lakshmi Narasimha (sadly much mutilated), a linga and statues of Ganesha. One of such statue of Ganesha is called `Sasivekalu Ganesha`, which is 2.5 meters high. Another splendid image of this deity known as `Kadale Kalu Ganesha` (gramseed Ganesha) is almost twice the height of the previous once.

There is a structure called the `King`s Balance` is one more attractive point of Hampi. Most of the visitors mistake it for a stone archway and it is regarded as one of the most unique monuments of Hampi. This structure has two tall pillars of fifteen feet high with a stone beam on top with three stone rings underneath from which the balances or scales are hung. It is said that during the `tulabhara ceremony`, the kings used to weigh themselves against an equal amount of gold or precious stones and distributed them later.