About Hampi

Country: India | State: Karnataka

Ideal Trip Duration: 2-3 Days

Nearest City to Hampi: Hubli (160 Kms)

Best Time to Visit Hampi: October to March

Peak Season: December to February

At a distance of 13 km from Hospet, 64 km from Bellary, 104 km from Gadag, 160 km from Hubli, 340 km from Bangalore & 377 km from Hyderabad, Hampi is an ancient village situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in northern Karnataka. A renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is one of the best heritage places to visit near Bangalore and among the must include places in your Karnataka tour packages.

The village of Hampi stands within the ruins of the city of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations not to miss in your South India tour. Hampi, also known as Pampa-kshetra, Kishkindha-kshetra, or Bhaskara-kshetra, is derived from Pampa, which is the old name of the Tungabhadra River. Virupaksha Temple, Vittala Temple and Hampi Bazaar are among the must include places in your Hampi tour packages.

Hampi is an extremely significant place in terms of history and architecture. The first settlement in Hampi dates back to the 1st century AD and many Buddhist sites belonging to that time have been found nearby. The seat of the Vijayanagara Empire was established by Saint Vidyaranya in 1336 AD with the help of two of his disciples, Hakka Raya and Bukka Raya. The kingdom flourished under the rule of Emperor Krishnadevaraya and stretched over the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire and was an extremely important part of the Empire from 1343 to 1565. It maintained a huge army to protect it from other kingdoms. As the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire, Hampi grew as a trade center for cotton, spices, and gemstones. It was one of the richest and largest cities in the world during the 15th and 16th centuries. After the death of Krishnadevaraya, the invading Deccan Sultanate forces destroyed Hampi and the rampage was continued for one year.

The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire in and around the village of Hampi are spread over an area of more than 26 Sq.km. The place is a significant religious center of the Vijayanagara Empire due to the presence of the historic Virupaksha Temple along with many other monuments of the old city. The main tourist places in Hampi can be divided into two broad areas; the Hampi Bazaar area and the Royal center near Kamalapur. Hemakuta Hill, south of the main Hampi temple, contains early ruins, Jain temples, and a monolithic sculpture of Lord Narasimha. The famous Vittala Temple is located 2 km east of the Hampi Bazaar.

Hubli Airport is the nearest airport at a distance of 166 km from Hampi, India. Hospet Railway Station, 13 km from Hampi is the nearest railhead. Hospet is well connected to Bangalore, Hyderabad, Hubli, Chennai, Vijayawada, Tirupati, Panjim, Kolkata, Mysore, Ajmer, Jodhpur, Kolhapur, and Shiridi. Hampi is well connected by road through KSRTC bus services. It has regular bus from Bangalore, Hubli, Goa and Karwar. The best way to explore Hampi is by foot or on a bike.

Hampi Festival, held for 3 days in November is the most important festival celebrated here. It is organized by the Government of Karnataka with dance, music, drama, and processions.

October to March is the best time to visit Hampi when the weather is pleasant and suitable for sightseeing.

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Other Info
Internet Availability: Good
STD Code: 08394
Languages Spoken: Kannada, Telugu, English
Major Festivals: Hampi Festival (Nov)
Notes/Tips:
None

How to Reach Hampi

By Air

Nearest Airport: Hubli - Hubli Airport (166 Kms)

By Train

Nearest Train Station: Hospet Junction (13 Kms)

By Bus

Nearest Bus Station: Hampi Bus Station (0 Kms)
Hospet (13 Kms)

Top 10 Places to Visit in Hampi

Heritage

#1 of 25 Places to Visit in Hampi

At a distance of 9 km (or 2.3 km by walk) from Hampi Bus Stand and 5.5 km from Kamalapura Bus Stand, Vittala Temple is an ancient monument located on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra River in Hampi. It is one of the largest and the most famous structures to visit as part of Hampi tour packages.

The Vijaya Vittala or Vittala Temple is the most famous and popular tourist places to visit in Hampi. This temple is famous for its Stone Chariot and Musical Pillars. It was built around the 15th century AD during the reign of King Devaraya II (1422 - 1446 AD). Several portions of the temple were expanded and enhanced during the reign of Krishnadevaraya (1509 - 1529 AD). This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu in the form of Vittala. The temple is well-known for its exceptional architecture and unmatched craftsmanship. This predominant monument of Hampi is a major .....

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Heritage | Pilgrimage

#2 of 25 Places to Visit in Hampi

At a distance of 400 m from Hampi Bus Stand, Sri Virupaksha temple is a Hindu temple located at the western end of Hampi Bazaar in Hampi. It is the most famous and important temples in Hampi, and among the must include places in Hampi Packages.

Virupaksha Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is renowned as one of the most sacred pilgrimage in Karnataka. Virupaksha is an incarnation of Lord Shiva, and among all the surrounding ruins, this temple is intact and is still in use. This temple is also called the Pampapathi temple and is one of the most places to visit in Hampi. Situated on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra River, it is a part of the Group of Monuments at Hampi, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

According to history, this temple has been functioning uninterruptedly ever since .....

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Heritage

#3 of 25 Places to Visit in Hampi

At a distance of 500 m from Hampi Bus Stand, Sri Krishna temple is situated on the Hampi main road. Krishna temple is one of the important places to visit in Hampi, and among the Group of Monuments which is currently listed as a part of the World Heritage Monuments by UNESCO.

The temple is situated close to the Virupaksha Temple. According to the history, Bala Krishna Temple was built by Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1513 AD. He built this temple to commemorate his victory over Prataparudra Gajapati, the ruler of the eastern kingdom of Udayagiri (now Orissa) which is mentioned in the inscriptions on the slab. The main idol installed in the temple was the figure of Bala Krishna and now it is preserved in the State Museum at Chennai.

This temple was built in Panchayathana style with two enclosures. Built-in the center of .....

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Heritage

#4 of 25 Places to Visit in Hampi

At a distance of 3.5 km from Hampi Bus Stand, Mahanavami Dibba or The House of Victory is a beautiful stone platform situated inside the Royal Enclosure in Hampi. It is also known as Dasara Dibba and is one of the most impressive structures to be visited during your Hampi Trip.

Mahanavami Dibba was built by King Krishnadevaraya in 1513 AD after his conquest over the kingdom of Udayagiri, present-day Orissa. The grand platform was used as a stage by the kings to watch the army march past, the war games, and the royal procession that were held during the Mahanavami festival, also known as the Dasara festival, hence the name Mahanavami Dibba. It is one of the most fascinating Hampi tourist places.

Dasara Dibba represents the typical Vijayanagara style of architecture. The stone platform is about 12 m in height. The huge structure is a square platform with .....

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Heritage

#5 of 25 Places to Visit in Hampi

At a distance of 3 km from Hampi Bus Stand, Hazara Rama Temple is a beautiful temple located at the center of Royal Enclosure. The temple is dedicated to Lord Rama.

Hazara Rama Temple was built in the early part of the 15th century by Devaraya II. The term Hazara Rama literally means a thousand Rama and refers to the large number of Ramayana panels depicted on the walls. This temple is believed to be the private temple of the kings and the royal family of Vijayanagara..

It was originally built as a simple structure within a rectangular complex. It consisted of only a sanctum, a pillared hall and an ardha-mandapa. Later the temple structure was renovated to add an open porch and beautiful pillars. The pillared hall has unique black stone pillars which are raised on a stone platform at the center of the hall. The interior of the temple has richly ornately columns. An empty pedestal with three holes signifies that the temple once had idols of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita.

Hazara .....

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Heritage

#6 of 25 Places to Visit in Hampi

At a distance of 1.2 km from Kamalapura Bus Stand and 5 km from Hampi, Pattabhirama Temple is situated near ASI museum in Kamalapura. Along with the Virupaksha and Vittala temples, the Pattabhirama temple represents the creative temple-building ventures of the Vijayanagara rulers.

Though it contains two inscriptions of King Achyuta Raya, the temple is believed to have been constructed well ahead of his regime. Dedicated to Lord Rama, this temple is known for its intricate architecture. It was a prominent destination for devotees during the period of the Vijayanagara Empire.

The Pattabhirama Temple is situated in the center of a huge rectangular enclosure. The east-facing sanctum has a three tier vimana with an antarala, maha-mandapa and ardha-mandapa. The large and square maha-mandapa is a finely built structure with tall and slender composite pillars of various types and is the best example of Vijayanagara style architecture. To the east of the ardha-mandapa is the usual .....

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Heritage

#7 of 25 Places to Visit in Hampi

At a distance of 600 m from Hampi Bus Stand, The Hemakuta group of temples is a cluster of ancient temples situated on the Hemakuta hill in Hampi adjacent to Virupaksha Temple.

Hemakuta, literally meaning golden hillock is one of the most charming hillocks in Hampi. It is dotted by over fifty structures of different types including temples, mandapas, galleries, and gateways of various sizes. Hemakuta Hill offers an excellent view of Hampi Bazaar and Virupaksha temple.

The Hemakuta hill has three entry points, one on the south-eastern side, one on the south, and the other on the eastern side of the hill which leads to the street near the Virupaksha temple. There are more than 35 temples on Hemakuta Hill. These temples are built in the pre-Vijayanagara and Vijayanagara periods (9th to 14th century AD). These are referred to as Jain Temples, but many of these temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Two of the .....

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Heritage

#8 of 25 Places to Visit in Hampi

At a distance of 800 m from Hampi Bus Stand, Ugra Narasimha Temple is located south of Sri Krishna Temple in Hampi. The Lakshmi Narasimha statue is one of the most imposing sculptures found in Hampi.

The specialty of the sculpture is that it is the largest monolith statue in Hampi with a height of 6.7 m. It was carved in 1528 AD during the rule of Krishnadevaraya. The protruding eyes and the facial expression are the basis for this name. This is considered to be among the most important monuments found in Hampi and is visited by a large number of people throughout the year.

Lord Narasimha is sitting on the coil of a giant seven-headed Adisesha (guardian snake of Lord Vishnu) and the lions guard the sides of the idol. The heads of the snake act as the hood above his head. The Lord in this temple is in cross-legged yoga position with the belt supporting the knees. The original statue contained the image of goddess Lakshmi, consort .....

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Heritage

#9 of 25 Places to Visit in Hampi

Hampi Bazaar is located beside the Hampi Bus Stand and located in front of the Virupaksha temple. It is also known as Virupaksha Bazaar. About a kilometer long, the eastern side of the bazaar ends at the foothill of Matanga Hill.

Hampi Bazaar is a unique attraction of Hampi. Both sides of the street have a series of very old pavilions, some single storied and others two storied. These buildings were once the part of a booming market and houses of the upper class merchants. The arcades are open structures with no doors. It was once a place where merchants used to sell precious stones, jewellery, silk clothes, etc. during Vijayanagara rule. It was also a market where cows and horses were traded. The Hampi Bazaar still functions as a market place, though it is no longer as attractive as it was. The western end of the street has been encroached by a number of shop owners and small restaurants. These shops that sell items like ethnic clothes, bags and pooja artifacts.

A huge Nandi, .....

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Heritage

#10 of 25 Places to Visit in Hampi

At a distance of 500 m from Hazara Rama Temple, 3.5 km from Hampi Bus Stand and 2 km from Kamalapur Bus Stand, Lotus Mahal is situated within Zenana Enclosure, a secluded area reserved for the royal ladies of the Vijayanagara Empire. This is also known as Chitragani Mahal and Kamal Mahal.

Lotus Mahal is the primary attraction of the Zenana Enclosure. Shaped like a lotus flower from the top, the archways of the structure resemble petals of a lotus and provide the whole structure the shape of a half-open lotus. The central dome is carved in the shape of a lotus bud.

Lotus Mahal is built in Indo-Islamic style. The two storied structure is symmetrically laid out, with equal projections on four sides. The base of the structure resembles Hindu temple style while the upper superstructure is Islamic in architecture with pyramidal towers.

The upper floor of the Mahal has balconies with arched windows. The arches of the ground floor are recessed and ornate. The walls are protected .....

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