Hampi tourism – Visit Hampi to get soaked in history
Hampi is a prominent village in Karnataka that was the erstwhile capital of the once-magnificent Vijayanagara empire. Hampi is recognized as a World Heritage Site and is visited by numerous tourists from all over the world. Constructed in 1336 AD, Hampi was known for its temples, forts, markets and many monuments. Hampi is sadly a classic case of a city reaching its highest point of glory and then suddenly declining to reach a state of utter neglect.
Lying on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, Hampi is a dry arid land saturated with millions of boulders of all shapes, sizes and patterns. In the middle of this is a strip of lush green land enveloped in mangroves, banana plantations and swaying palms.
Hampi is popularly referred to as a vast open museum of history, architecture and religion. Giant temples, palaces, market streets, aquatic structures, fortifications and many other ancient monuments are part of this heritage site. Among the many must-visit attractions included in Hampi Tourism are Virupaksha Temple, Hampi Bazaar, Monolith Bull, Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Hemakuta Hill temples, Big Shivlinga, Vithala Temple, Hazara Rama Temple, Royal Enclosures, Queen’s Bath, Zanana Enclosure, Elephant Stables, Achyutaraya temple, Statue of Ugra Narasimha, Virupaksha Temple, Mahanavami Dibba, the Stepped Bath and the Matanga Hill. Hampi is also the site of many Shiva Lingams along the river. The Hanuman Temple on Anjaneya Hill and the Pampa Sarovar are other attractions nearby that are worth a visit.
Being the site of the Virupaksha Temple and several other important monuments, Hampi was a very famous religious centre of the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire. Even today, it is a sacred place for the Hindus and is called the ‘Pampa Kshetra’ or ‘home of Pampa’. Pampa was the daughter of Brahma who is believed to be the creator of the universe. This temple has a 120 ft tall tower near the east entrance along with statues of Lord Shiva, Pampa and Bhuvaneshwari Devi. Most of the ruins in Hampi are of temples of the erstwhile empire, of which Malyavantham Ranganathaswamy temple built in Dravidian architectural style is an important one.
Merely visiting the many sites of Hampi takes at least 3 days and for those who like to delve deep into the subject of archaeology, Hampi has enough to mesmerize one for endless days. Hampi Festival is an important attraction of Hampi Tourism. Held during the first week of November, Hampi transforms into a site of cultural and art extravaganza. The most beautiful aspect of this Hampi Festival is that during this period the monuments are bathed in light that are so beautiful to look at after dark, that anyone can be mesmerized by them.
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