A UNESCO world heritage site, Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is situated on the banks of the River Tungabhadra in Karnataka. This site is also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi.
The ruins of the palaces in Hampi, the temples and the royal buildings stand as testimony to the wealth of the Vijayanagara Emperors.
By 1500 AD, Hampi was the world’s second largest medieval era city after Beijing, and probably India’s richest at that time, attracting traders from Persia and Portugal.
Hampi’s heydays came to an end when an army of Delhi Sultanate laid siege to the town in 1565. The town was looted for six months before it was abandoned.
The Virupaksha Temple is the most prominent building in Hampi. It is believed that Lord Shiva married Parvati in this temple. Other attractions of this place are the Lotus Palace, Hazara Rama Temple, Lakshmi Narasimha Statue, Krishna Temple, Achyutaraya Temple and the Hemakuta group of temples.
Picture credit: google
