“...... the eye has not seen nor the ear heard of any place resembling it upon the whole earth”… Persian Ambassador Abdul Razak had said this about Hampi, the mystic land where the ancient remnants of temples and monuments are existent to speak he past history and glory of the land…Such is the domain of Hampi which carries the great architectural and sculptural edifices that inspire the interest of tourists as well as the common people who want to see the history with the spectacular representation of sculpture.

Hampi in Karnataka, the land of surprises was founded in the middle of 14th Century by two local princes, Hakka and Bukka. The Vijayanagara Empire came to be celebrated for its might and wealth and as a show piece of imperial magnificence. Located in the central part of Karnataka, Hampi is 353 km from Bangalore and merely13 km from Hospet. Hampi carries place through which Tungabhadra River flows. Hampi is said to be one of the major metropolises of medieval era.

There are some places of interest in Hampi that includes temples and monuments with architectural and sculptural brilliance. The Virupaksha Temple at the western end is one of the earliest structures in the city. The main shrine is dedicated to Virupaksha, a form of Lord Vishnu. Overlooking Virupaksha temple to the South, Hemakuta hill has a scattering of early ruins including Jain temples and a monolithic structure of Narasimha avatara of Vishnu. Nearby is the 6.7m tall monolith of Ugra Narasimha. The gigantic image is situated in the south of the Hemkuta group of temples that includes the Virupaksha Temple. The Narasimha is a seated four-armed figure under a canopy of a seven-hooded snake.

Another temple of Hampi that is worth paying a visit is the Vitthala Temple which is located to the east of Hampi Bazaar. The ruins of the temple are a World Heritage monument. It is in a relatively good state of preservation. One of the unique characteristics of the shrine of Vitthala temple 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 incredible sculptural works of the temple is the pinnacle of Vijayanagara Art. The outer pillars are known as the ‘Musical Pillars’ as they reverberate when tapped, although this practice is now discouraged to avoid further damage. The temple also features an ornate stone chariot in the temple courtyard containing an image of Garuda.

Hazara Rama Temple is another temple in Hampi that was built within rectangular complex and lies at the heart of the royal centre. Dating from the early 15th century, the hall of the Hazara Rama Temple has finely carved basalt pillars depicting the incarnations of Shri Vishnu. Around the exterior walls of the hall are three rows of sculptures illustrating the main events from the ancient Indian scripture Ramayana. In addition to these temples, the Tirvengalanatha temple, which was built during reign of Achuta Deva Raya, is better known by the name of ruler. The temple within are in ruins, but some erotic sculptures can be seen in the columns inside the open halls near the main gateway. 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 gigantic Shivalinga is located next to the Narasimha figure. It is 3 metres high and stands permanently in water that comes through an ancient channel. Lotus Mahal, the graceful two-storied pavilion is located in the ‘zenana’ enclosure. The palace is delightful synthesis of the Hindu and Islamic styles of architecture. Some other places of interest in Hampi includes the Queen’s Bath that is situated in the citadel area, south of the Hazaara Rama Temple and is a large square structure, remarkable for the contrast between its plain exterior and the very ornate interior. The bath is 15-m square and 1.8 m deep and is surrounded by delicately decorated arched corridors and projecting balconies. Located behind the elephant stables, Singaradu Hebbagilu is one of the oldest and most massive of the gateways in the capital city. The gate called ‘Singara Hebbagilu’ or the beautiful door according to an inscription that has been discovered near it, was the main entrance to the city.

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 alias Navaratri or Dussehra. It is described intensely by the foreign travellers to this city. Virupaksha Bazaar is 32 m wide and 728 m long, this street that runs between the Virupaksha Temple and the foot of the Matanga Hill is the longest street laid out by the Vijaynagara kings.

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 Lord 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.

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.

Hampi, where the stones speak the past, is the abode of religious propensity and the architectural and sculptural brilliance are the treasures of the domain where people discover the history of various dynasties and the socio cultural scenario of that time.