Magnificent Heritage Of Hampi

For ages, India is blessed with a vast and rich heritage. Hampi is one of the most visited heritage sites in India. It is also been referred to as the UNESCO World Heritage Site situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the eastern part of central Karnataka, India. Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century. By 1500 CE, Hampi- Vijayanagara was the world’s second-largest medieval-era city after Beijing, and probably India’s richest at that time.   

Located in Karnataka near the modern-era city of Hosapete, Hampi’s ruins are spread over 4,100 hectares (16 sq mi). It is also the surviving remains of the last great Hindu Kingdom in South India. The site was an early medieval era pilgrimage place known as Pampakshetra. Its fame came from the Kishkindha chapters of the Hindu epic Ramayana, where Lord Ram and Lakshmana meet Hauman, Sugriva, and the Monkey army in the search for Kidnapped Sita. The Hampi area has many close resemblances to the place described in the epic.

Hampi is also known as Pampa Kshetra. These names were derived from the famous Tungabhadra River Pampa. According to mythology, it is said that Pampa was Brahmas's daughter who was later married off to Lord Shiva. As you walk through the remains of Hampi’s magnificent forts, palaces, and gateways.

Amongst the great holy centres, one is the Virupaksha temple is the oldest shrine, the principal destination for pilgrims and tourists. The temple is a collection of smaller temples. The temple was built by Lakkan Dandesha, a nayaka under the ruler Deva Raya 2. This temple is the only well preserved and maintained temple in Hampi, the other numerous temples were destroyed by the Bahmani sultanates. Near to the Virupaksha temple on the banks of the Tungabhadra River is the Vitthala temple, which is the most artistically sophisticated Hindu temple in Hampi. The temple is a unified structure in a courtyard measuring 500 by 300 feet which is surrounded by a triple row of pillars. In the centre of the courtyard lies the Garuda shrine in the form of a stone chariot, the one printed on 50 Rupees note.

India is a cradle of human values, diverse culture and heritage and spectacular Constructions. Architecture is a visual art and the building for themselves. As a citizen of India, you should take a visit to Hampi.