Hampi

Hampi is a village in northern Karnataka state, India. It is located within the ruins of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Predating the city of Vijayanagara, it continues to be an important religious centre, housing the Virupaksha […]

Hampi is a village in northern Karnataka state, India. It is located within the ruins of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Predating the city of Vijayanagara, it continues to be an important religious centre, housing the Virupaksha Temple, as well as several other monuments belonging to the old city.

As the village is at the original centre of Vijayanagara, it is sometimes confused with the ruined city itself. The ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi.

Geography

Hampi is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra river. It is 353 km from Bangalore and 74 km away from Bellary. Hosapete (Hospet), 13 km away, is the nearest railway head. The chief languages spoken are Kannada and Telugu. The principal industries of the village are agriculture, the support of the Virupaksha temple and some other local holy places in the vicinity, and tourism. The annual Vijayanagar Festival is organized by the Government of Karnataka in November.

Due to the presence of several mineral deposits in this region (iron-ore, manganese), mining has been going on for many years now. But a recent boom for the supply of iron-ore in the international market has led to excessive mining in this district. The World Heritage Site at Hampi as well as the Tungabhadra Dam are now under threat.

Temples

Hampi has various notable Hindu temples, some of which are still active places of worship. Most notable ones are:

Virupaksha Temple complex: Also known as the Pampapathi temple, it is a Shiva temple situated in the Hampi Bazaar. It predates the founding of the Vijayanagar empire. The temple has a 160-foot (49 m) high tower at its entrance. Apart from Shiva, the temple complex also contains shrines of the Hindu goddesses Bhuvaneshwari and Pampa.

Global Heritage Fund efforts

Global Heritage Fund, in a unique public-private partnership with the Hampi Foundation, Cornell University, and the State of Karnataka, has been actively involved in the conservation of Hampi’s unique cultural heritage. Apart from producing a master conservation plan for the site of Chandramauleshwar Temple, the GHF-led effort is now focusing on “the stabilization of the temple and its associated structural features.” There is now an installation at the Immigration Museum in Melbourne, Australia about the architecture and archeology of Hampi (until January 2010).

Climbing

Hampi is considered the bouldering capital of India. The extensive rock-hewn landscape and enchanting temple-ruins background provides for a unique climbing experience. Climbers have been visiting this place since 1980s, but it was further given a boost after featuring in a Chris Sharma video.

Important sites at and near Hampi

• Vitthala temple with musical pillars, Hoysala style multigonal base Hampi
• Achyutaraya Temple/Tiruvengalanatha Temple
• Akka Tangi Gudda
• Anegondi
• Anjeyanadri Hill
• Aqueducts and Canals
• Archaeological Museum at Kamalapura
• Badava Linga
• Chandramauleshwar Temple
• The Kings’ balance
• The Underground Temple
• Tungabhadra River
• Uddana Veerabhadra temple
• Ugra Narasimha
• Virupaksha Temple
• Vittala temple
• Yeduru Basavanna
• Yentrodharaka Anjaneya temple
• Zenana enclosure
• Virupapura
• Madhavan Palace with more than 1,000,000 pillars
• Sasivekalu Ganesha
• Elephant stables
• Lotus temple