Hampi, located at the center of Karnataka, was the prestigious capital of the kingdom of Vijayanagar Empire in about 1336, although traces of old habitat were found there, this city developed at the same time as the dynasty took a political and economic importance growing. It is said that it was vaster than Rome. Nevertheless, the decisive battle of Talikota in 1565 against a coalition of the Muslem sultans of the north of Deccan, devoted the decline of the Vijayanagar kingdom, and the invasion of Hampi resulted in massacres and extremely significant destruction.
The beauty of the landscape is discovered quickly; enormous blocks of pink granite rocks create spectacular chaos.
The
visit should begin by visiting what is called the Sacrée city. , The
first monument which one discovers is a temple of partially renovated Krishna.
One notes the gopuram whose base is out of stone but the superstructures are
out of brick covered with stuccos.All in ruins
A little further, one notices on the left a colossal monolithic statue of Ganesh of pure Vijayanagar style (Krishnādevaraya,period beginning from the 16th century). High, 2.4 m drawn up in a hall with columns forming a monumental platform. In spite of its very appreciable size already, this Ganesh is described as "mustard seed" (sashivekalu), but true as it can appear small in comparison with another statue, 4.5 m high cut in one of the rocks which strew the hill with Hemakuta, further also on the left. Here, the name of this colossal Ganesh is "chickpea" (kadalaikallu).
Of this place, one overhangs the temple of Virupaksha. To reach it, one will go up preferably at the top of the small hill to go down again by a series of small Jains temples in the medium of the rocks
The large temple is dominated by a gigantic gopuram of nine floors. An unusual Nandi with three heads is on the left entry. Large principal court, one sees the northern gopuram whose style differs largely from that of the gopuram is by which one arrived.
In front is, a mandapa with decorated square columns and along the line, the temple of Pārvatī honoured here under the name of Pampapati Devī. Each year, a great festival celebrates its marriage with the god Shiva, principal deity of the temple .
Narasimha, the fourth will avatāra of Vishnu. Almost 7 meters high , is a very impressive in spite of the mutilations from which it had to suffer. Its wild expression shelters under a cap of seven snakes whose heads crown it. One claims that the god would have carried formerly, on his left knee, a representation of his Shakti, from where the name of Lakshmī Narasimha which is given to this statue.
The road follows a varied landscape of rice plantations, banana trees and coconuts, in the medium of round granite rocks. A great rock chaos holds the attention. Two enormous blocks called "Sisterstone" are based one on the other.
At the Royale city. The following monuments can be visited:
The underground, original temple but frequently under water...
The temple of Hazara
Rowed Chandra: very beautiful, is encircled an enclosing wall on which
remarkable low-reliefs scenes of Rāmāyana In the court, draws up remarkable
a mandapa with the pillars of dark stone engraved of various divinities: Krishna,
Kalki, Ganesh, etc.
The royal basin on several floors, out of black stone, was found and cleared in 1983; it is thus in a very good state. At side, an aqueduct is which fed it. A little further, a secret room where the king could take refuge.
The chambers of the women ( the old zenana) shelters an elegant house on two floors, the Kamal Mahal.
Of Mahānavami Dibba (house of victory), which formerly,, rose on several stages, remain only the glorious bases decorated with a multitude of planks with musicians and dancers, horses, elephants and warriors.
While driving uphill , one enjoys beautiful and vast landscape.
A few kilometers away is the temple of Vitthala, dedicated to Vishnu, one of the centre pieces of Hampi, classified World Heritage by UNESCO. Surrounded by high walls, one reaches it by one of both gopuram which bore the enclosure. Dating from the middle of the 15th century, therefore old for the site, it is especially known for the splendid ratha stone which is held in a large court.
A little away from the temple Vitthala, on the left, a broad way paved leads to the temple of Virupaksha. At the entry of this way, a curious gantry, the royal balance, is the place where the sovereign was made weigh at the time of significant ceremonies, for then distributing to the poor of his kingdom his weight of gold and jewels...
From there, one will throw a glance on banks of Tungabhadra. Stone pillars partially immersed mark the site of an old bridge. Just on bank, an original mandapa very flattened, constitutes a beautiful framework. On other bank, in the distance, draws up a high hill that a length and sinuous white staircase climbing until its top where a temple marks the site of the mythical birth of Hanuman.
While skirting the river one comes across the Virupaksha temple .A broad avenue bordered of pillars leads to the temple of Achutaraya, in the course of restoration, in the name of the brother-in-law and successor of king Deva Raya Krishna. The temple has two successive gopuram , whose brick superstructures are well dilapidated, and two enclosures. As elsewhere, the mandapa are equipped with worked square pillars, of which the outside often decorates reason of the lion or Yālī drawn up on its legs back. The temple is dedicated to Vishnu in its form of Tiruvengalanath, but more no statue remains here. On the right side of the principal temple, a small temple with mandapa is dedicated to Sri Devī and Bhu Devī: it thus has two cella. An irrigation canal, formerly feeding the temple, crosses the court.