Hampi is famous the world over as the capital of the erstwhile Vijayanagar empire. At the peak of its glory, the Vijayanagar capital city of Hampi – situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra river – was India’s richest city. The rulers of Vijayanagar, at some point or the other, controlled the whole of South India, led expeditions to Sri Lanka and also pushed East against the Gajapati’s of present day Orissa. Art & architecture had reached very high levels of sophistication and this photo tour brings to light the hidden grandeur of Hampi.
In 1565, at the battle of Talikota, the Deccan Sultans defeated the Vijayanagar empire and ransacked Hampi. The richest and greatest city in the whole of the country was looted after the war and all its structures systematically burnt and destroyed.
Today Hampi is a ghost town. Ruins of temples and palaces are spread all over the region amongst boulders of all sizes and shapes. Each boulder in Hampi has a story to tell and the Tungabhadra river, that flows through this rocky terrain from time immemorial, sings the song of a marvelous past.
Hampi is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of India’s most visited tourist destination. This post contains uncommon pictures of Hampi, pictures of structures that a visitor usually misses seeing. Many of the photos were taken from the nearby Matanga hill, which in Hindu mythology is where Lord Rama met Hanuman and Sugriva for the first time.
Note: The picture gallery is best viewed on a laptop/desktop/tablet
Further Reading
John Fritz and George Michell’s ‘Hampi’ is an excellent book that gives a detailed tour of all the structures at Hampi. As an added bonus, the appendix has photographs of the ruins from 1856.
| Did you know… |
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| The Vijayanagar empire has a curious connection with the establishment of British rule in India. The last nominal Vijayanagar ruler, Sriranga III , gave land to the British to establish a trade post on the East Coast. The British named this outpost as Fort St. George and the city of Chennai eventually grew around this trading post. |
Lepakshi is yet another architectural marvel that speaks volumes of the skills of the Vijayanagar artisans.
Wow, I absolutely loved this post, it was a short, enjoyable read! The pictures are beautiful and so is the description. Kudos on the excellent photography skill 🙂
Thank you!
Loved reading the post! The pictures were beautifully captured!
Thank you!