The ruins of Hampi lie 350 kilometers north of
Bangalore. It was the ancient capital of the mighty Vijayanagar
Empire. Legend has it that the empire was established by two heroic
brothers, Harihara and Bukka Raya in 1336 A.D. Vijayanagar
means 'City of Victory' and its capital Hampi reflected the grandeur
of this powerful kingdom.Krishna Deva Raya, the greatest
of all the Vijayanagar kings, ruled the empire from 1509 A D to 1520
A D. At
its zenith, the territory of Hampi spread over 30 sq kms. The sultans
of the Deccan, envious of the kingdom's prosperity, united
to take it. The mighty state fell after the battle of Talikota
in 1565 A D. The city was pillaged for over six months and then abandoned.
Such wanton ravage of a splendid, thriving city was perhaps unprecedented
in history. The wealthy and prosperous capital was left derelict and
then forgotten over time. Today all that remains are the ruins of
the temples dedicated to gods of the Hindu pantheon. For three centuries,
the city lay neglected on the banks of the river Tungabhadra
until an Englishman Robert Sewell started and catalogued an
extensive research. Swan Sonnenschein & Co., Ltd., London
published a book under the title ‘A Forgotten Empire’.
The ruins of the city are scattered over a vast area, which cover
some nine square miles. The actual fortifications and outposts were
as far as the town of Anegundi on the northern side, while
Kampli served as an outpost on the eastern side, which are
25 kms apart! You can picture the splendor of Vijayanagar at its best
by climbing the steps leading to a small shrine on the top of a hill
called the Matanga Parvatha.
The whole of the old city is dotted with barren rocky hills and
there is hardly any vegetation to be seen. To the north the
wide, turbulent Tungabhadra river roars down a boulder-strewn channel
through rapidsand
narrow ravines. Over a long period of time, the scorching days and
chilly nights of the Deccan Plateau have transformed
the surrounding area into huge masses of rocks and enormous
boulders which are strewn around in fascinating shapes and sizes.
The glowing evening light of a Deccan sunset across the ruins adds
to the beauty - a sight to behold!
There is much to see in this World Heritage Centre. There have been
instances of people staying over for six months tracing the history
of Hampi. The main places of interest include the Virupaksha and
the Vijaya Vittala temples, Lotus Mahal, Ugranarasimha statue, the
Ganesha idols and the stone chariot. Click here to know about a bridge built
across the river Tungabhadra leading to...
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