Monuments at Hampi
Monuments.
By
cruisingindia.com
on
Apr 02, 2006.
Hampi is a village in northern
Karnataka state in India. It contains the ruins of the ancient city of Vijayanagara, one of the most glorious and prosperous citadels from the 3rd to the 6th century. It was the capital of the
Vijayanagar Dynasty, the last of
Hindu empires in India. Hampi was also the site of the
Virupaksha temple, a center of religious activity in central India. The ruins of Hampi are now a
World Heritage Site. Hampi is first mentioned as the site of the mythical
Kishkindha, a monkey kingdom described in the epic of
Hindu mythology, the
Ramayana, although the first documented settlements of Hampi date to 1st century AD.
Hampi History
The
Vijayanagar dynasty chose Hampi as their capital due to its strategic location, as it is bound by the mighty
Tungabhadra River on one side and granite cliffs on the other three sides. Over the years the city has been referred to as Vijayanagara as well as Virupakshapura, after the patron deity of the rulers.The greatest monarch of the
Vijayanagar dynasty was
Raja Krishna Deva Raya who ruled from 1502 to 1529. An enlightened ruler, he was a poet and a secular king, and is credited with building some of the finest temples and buildings in Hampi. Many travelers like Nunez from Portugal and Razzaq from Arabia have sung praises about the grandeur of his Vijayanagar court.The downfall of
Vijayanagar dynasty and Hampi came about with the Battle of Rakkasa Tangadi on Jan 23rd,1565, when the then king Rama Raya was defeated by the combined forces of Bijapur, Golconda and
Ahmednagar. Within six months Hampi was reduced to ruins, its pavilions and temples lying desolate and forgotten. The ruins were unearthed in the early 20th century by a British team.
Virupaksha Temple
Hampi has some magnificent temples some that are in use even today. The temple of Virupaksha, the patron deity of the
Vijayanagar dynasty, is set at the Western end of a seven hundred meter long street, once the site of a famous city bazaar. The entrance is through a fifty meter tall gateway renovated by
Krishna Deva Raya. Inside the temple are a few courtyards decorated with small shrines. The wall outside the central shrine is richly carved and its ceiling is embellished with images from the
Hindu Puranas. The
Narasimha,
Shivaling and
Ganesha monoliths found in the Virupaksha temple complex are amazing in their structure and style. The
Narasimha is a four armed figure resting under the canopy of a seven hooded snake. The
Shivaling is five meters tall and rests in a small water body. There are two figures of
Ganesha – the mustard seed
Ganesha and the pulses seed
Ganesha, which are objects of affection for devotees.
Vithal Temple
The Vithal temple is the other important temple complex in Hampi. It is situated on the southern bank of the
Tungabhadra River and is regarded as the best monument in the city complex. It was built by
Krishna Deva Raya and dedicated to Vithala, an incarnation of Lord
Vishnu. Its scale and style of carvings all make it a splendid example of Indian Art.The temple itself is carved out of a granite area measuring three-hundred by five-hundred feet in area. Figures have been tastefully carved out of granite rock in the temple. It has fifty-six pillars in the main hall, which produce musical notes when struck. The Vithala temple also houses a grand rock chariot that carries the mythical bird, the
Garuda. The engineering and carving is so precise that the wheels can be rotated. A short walk from the Vittala temple is a stone face called The King’s Balance. Weighing scales were attached to it to for the ceremony of weighing the king in coins and gems on special occasions.
Kodadandarama Temple
The Kodadandarama temple is situated at the southern bank of the
Tungabhadra River. It is associated with an episode in the
Ramayana where
Rama crowned the monkey king
Sugriva after defeating
Sugriva’s brother
Vali.
The Royal Enclosure
Other monuments in the lost city of Hampi include the Royal enclosure, which has a variety of buildings like audience halls, palaces, pavilions, public baths, and stables. These are in more ruined state than the temples. Entering the royal enclosure past the Queen’s Bath, one passes a number of stone platforms. The largest is the royal platform called the
Mahanavami Dibba where the King used to watch the
Dasara celebrations below. This twelve meter high stone platform was decorated with friezes of people, pomp, and pageantry. To its south is a sacred water tank, Pushkarini.
The Elephant Stables
An example of Indo-Saracenic architecture at Hampi is the Royal elephant stable, a row of eleven chambers that once housed the pachyderms. The long façade and arched entrance make the building fascinating. The royal enclosure also has a temple called the
Hazar Rama, meant as a private prayer room for the royals.
The Lotus Temple
A non-religious building in Hampi is the Lotus temple. The graceful, two-storied pavilion is located in the
Zenana enclosure. This palace is an amazing synthesis of
Hindu and
Islamic architecture. There is an open pavilion at the lower level and windows and balconies at the upper level. The beautiful recessed archways set geometrically let the sun unfold inside like lotus petals, hence the name of the temple.
The Hampi Monuments Today
Today the magnificent ruins of Hampi are facing an environmental crisis, with the development of commerce and traffic seriously endangering it. Agriculture, industry, and irresponsible tourism are all threatening its cultural and archaeological environment. The
UNESCO and Government of
Karnataka are evolving action plans to deal with the same.Hampi is 343 km from
Bangalore and 74 km from Bellary. The Government of
Karnataka organizes the annual Vijayanagar Cultural festival in November. Best time to visit is October to March.
Traveller feedback for Monuments at Hampi
Best place in India!!
... on Sep 16, 2006
I visited Hampi about 15 years ago (i pray it hasnt changed!) as part of a 9 month motorcycle tour of India and Nepal. Having taken a well earned rest
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