Hospet is the large town and railway station closest to Vijaynagar, located about 13km from Hampi Bazaar. Given the vast extent of Vijaynagar’s ruins and the ‘suburbs’ that surrounded the main urban center, it is no surprise that there are monuments all along the road between these two locations. Continue reading
East and south of the Pattabhirama Temple are two smaller temples, marked on the map in the ASI guidebook. The Pattabhirama Temple was just outside the urban core, and these two temples are located still further out. Continue reading
A little further east of Kamalapur is the large Pattabhirama Temple, probably from the 16th c. This temple is comparable in size to but less ornate than the Vitthala Temple. The plainness of its exterior allows us to easily see the basic layout of Vijaynagar-era temples Continue reading
A few photos from Kamalapur, the small town a little distance to the south-east of the Royal Center. Continue reading
The landscape around Hampi is associated with Kishkinda, the land of Hamuman and Sugriv from the Ramayan epic, and various locations in the landscape are associated with specific events from the epic. Malyavanta Hill is one such example, said to be the place where Ram and Lakshman took shelter during the monsoon season. Continue reading
To the east of the Sacred and Royal Centers runs a road, north to south, from Talarigattu (Talari Ghat on the banks of Tungabhadra River) to Kamalapur town. Continue reading
The Sacred and Royal Centers would have been the focal points of Vijaynagar, and today most of the existing ruins lie within these two areas. This also points to why the names Hampi and Vijaynagar are used interchangeably Continue reading
The Queen’s Bath lies just outside and to the south-east of the royal enclosures. Near and around it are a number of small ruined structures. Continue reading
There are many examples in Vijaynagar of the ground level around a ruin rising over the centuries to many feet above the level at the time the structure was built. In these situations, the temple gets partially buried underground, and when it is excavated to reveal the entire structure, a small retaining wall is built around the structure, indicating the difference in ground level. The ‘Underground Temple’ is a prominent example of this. Continue reading
The Hazara Rama Temple lies at the heart of Vijaynagar’s Royal Center, and was probably the royal shrine for Vijaynagar’s rulers. Continue reading
Sarson ke Khet 