Hampi is a village in the northern region of Karnataka, located within the ruins of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Hampi is bounded by the Tungabhadra river on one side and surrounded by defensible hills on the other three sides.
Hampi is identified with the historical Kishkindha, the Vanara(monkey) kingdom mentioned in the Ramayana. It is an important religious centre, housing the Virupaksha Temple- a shiva temple situated in the Hampi Bazaar, Vittala Temple complex -which houses the famous Stone Chariot, as well as several other monuments belonging to the old city. The ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi.
I was first introduced to Hampi in 2002, when i was looking for a place for a long weekend outing. My colleague mentioned Hampi, located at a distance of 350 kms approx from Bangalore. Since then i have visited Hampi twice with my family and have really enjoyed the beauty of the place. The temples are exquisite and one can roam around endlessly in the town admiring the beauty of the sculptures. The landscape around the temples is amazingly beautiful, being decorated with boulders or various sizes and colours. Its a photographers delight. Over the years i have fallen in love with the place and long to go back once more to see and photograph the temples and the boulders. Bouldering, a new sport in india has found an ideal place in Hampi. I only wish that the monuments are well protected so that the generations to come can admire the beauty of the temples and the surroundings.
Hampi is identified with the historical Kishkindha, the Vanara(monkey) kingdom mentioned in the Ramayana. It is an important religious centre, housing the Virupaksha Temple- a shiva temple situated in the Hampi Bazaar, Vittala Temple complex -which houses the famous Stone Chariot, as well as several other monuments belonging to the old city. The ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi.
I was first introduced to Hampi in 2002, when i was looking for a place for a long weekend outing. My colleague mentioned Hampi, located at a distance of 350 kms approx from Bangalore. Since then i have visited Hampi twice with my family and have really enjoyed the beauty of the place. The temples are exquisite and one can roam around endlessly in the town admiring the beauty of the sculptures. The landscape around the temples is amazingly beautiful, being decorated with boulders or various sizes and colours. Its a photographers delight. Over the years i have fallen in love with the place and long to go back once more to see and photograph the temples and the boulders. Bouldering, a new sport in india has found an ideal place in Hampi. I only wish that the monuments are well protected so that the generations to come can admire the beauty of the temples and the surroundings.
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