Hampi Tourism

The Hampi Group of Monuments is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which still looks glorious enough to be the capital of a powerful empire. Its popularity has grown rapidly over the centuries. Its a little rugged-canvas festooned with historical structures that reflect ancient charm, grandiose and precision. These iconic remnants of Vijaynagara Empire have its history dating back to 14th century. Every bend on the road here is decorated with a temple, while on every hillock sits a canopy like monument, attracting passersby.

Hampi’s Stone Chariot has served as the inspiration for various ideas and events, one of them being India’s award-winning luxury trains, The Golden Chariot. Here, you come across wonderful structures like the Virupaksha Temple, which celebrates the wedding ceremony of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati every year. The long stretch of bazaars here give a feeling of waiting in expectation for the commerce and trade to resume, as it did once upon a time.

The main tourist spots in Hampi can be divided into two broad areas: the Hampi Bazaar area and the Royal center near Kamalapuram. The 15th-century Virupaksha Temple is located in the Hampi Bazaar area. It is one of the oldest monuments of the town. The top of the temple rises about 50 m from the ground and the main shrine is dedicated to Virupaksha, a form of Lord Shiva. Hemakuta Hill, south of the Virupaksha temple, contains early ruins, Jain temples and a monolithic sculpture of Lord Narasimha, a form of Lord Vishnu. Hemakuta Hill offers excellent view of Hampi Bazaar. Two kilometers east of Hampi Bazaar, the traveler can see the World Heritage Vittal temple, built in the 16th century. The carvings on this temple give an insight into the architectural splendor achieved by the artisans of Vijaynagar Empire. The outer pillars of this temple are said to produce music when tapped. They are also known as the musical pillars. Between Hampi Bazaar and Vittal temple, one can see the deserted Sule Bazaar and the Achutraya temple. Monolithic statue of Lord Ganesh, Nandi, the Kodandarama temple and the Krishna temple are other places to visit in the Hampi Bazaar area.

Virupaksha Temple
Amongst the ruins of Hampi stands the Virupaksha temple with its earlier structures still intact. The temple main diety is Lord Shiva, and one of the few temples where people still use for worship. Virupaksha temple has various incarnations of Lord Vishnu and Shiva as carvings on them. The chariot festival is conducted every year in the month of February in the premises of this temple.

Lakshmi Narasimha Temple
The Lakshmi Narasimha or the Ugra narasimha temple attract a lot of tourist due to its monolithic structure and sheer enormity in size. It is the single largest statue in Hampi, which is in honour of the diety Narasimha, the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu depicted as sitting on the giant coil of the celestial snake Adisesha. The seven heads of the giant snake which shields the Narasimha acts as a Torana in front. He architecture of this piece is admirable.

Hazara Rama Temple
Hazara Rama Temple is situated in the middle of the Royal Center and was once used as a place of worship by the royal families. Inscriptions in the temple indicate that it was built by the 15th century. The temple is known for the bas – reliefs carvings and inscriptions that illustrate the mighty Ramayana epic and the Mahanavami festival on their inner and outer walls. Depictions of elephants, horses attendants, dancing girls, armoured soldiers indicate the royal presence in this temple. This temple carvings and paintings give an exclusive and admiration for the Vijayanagara artists.

Matanga Hill
Matanga Hill is a well known attraction of Hampi for offering breathtaking aerial view of the Hampi's landscape especially during sunrise and sunsets. This has been the best trekking paths for many tourists who visit Hampi. The aerial view from the top of the hill covers Tungabhadra River, Kodanda Rama Temple, Veerabhadra Temple and Turthu Canal. Matanga Hill is historically connected to the epic Ramayana too.

Vittala Temple
The Vittala temple is an architectural piece of Hampi, its diety Vitala is an avatar of Lord Vishnu worshipped by the Marathas. One major attraction of this temple is the stone chariot. The pillared halls are intrinsically carved with sculptures which speaks volumes of Hampi history and their rulers. This temple has a speciality where the seven notes of the music are emanated when the pillars are tapped.