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Friday 3 January 2014

HAMPI-A destroyed capital city

Ruins of structures
Hampi is a ruined  city of ancient India, situated on the banks of Thungabhadra River in Karnataka State.It was capital city of VIJAYANAGARA empire existed during 1336 to 1565. The ruin of the city was during invasion of the empire by Deccan Sultanates. Ruins of architectural structures and temples beautifully constructed in hard rock spread in about 26 sq Kms are the main attractions of Hampi.The architecture of the ruins makes one wonder at the amazing skill of the artisans!  Now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 
Virupaksha Temple
Best time to visit: October to February
Kings Balance
Attractions in specific:
·         Virupaksha Temple
·         Idol of Narasimha in Lakshmi Narasimha Temple
·         Vittala Temple
·         The Kings Balance
Chariot at Vitthala Temple
·         Lotus Mahal
·         Elephant Stables
·         Mahanavami Dibba
·         Watch House
·         Tungabhadra River

Partially ruined idol of Narasimha
Attractions around Hampi:
·         Tungabhadra Dam: The Thunga bhadra Dam is construced across the Thungabhadra river , a tributary of Krihna River.The Dam is very near to Hospet.
Tungabhadra Dam at sunset
How to reach:
By Road and Rail:  There are a number of options to reach Hampi. Your gateway town to Hampi is Hospet , bustling town located very close to the Hampi ruins(12 Kms). This is the major travel hub from where you can get the travel connections. There are good road and rail connections to Hospet from a number of major towns and cities.
By Air: Travel by air is not advisable. Bellary (60Kms) and Hubli (170Kms) are the nearest domestic air ports. These airports are connected by domestic flights from Bangalore, Mumbai and other cities in south India. Bangalore is the international airport near to Hampi.
A view of  of Virupaksha temple from upper hill.
Accomadation: There are only a few of hotels at Hampi. More hotels are in Hospet,
Mahanavami Dibba
Elephant Stables

Things to remember:
·         To make visiting Hampi more interesting, acquire some knowledge about the history of Vijayanagara Empire before your visit.
·         Hotels in Hampi are more expensive than that of Hospet. Hospet is only 12 Kms from Hampi.
·         All kinds of transportation are available from Hospet. KSTDC (Karnataka State Tourism Devt. Corporation) also conducts sightseeing trips to Hampi and Tungabhdra Dam from Hospet. The booking office of KSTDC is at KRK lodge, Near Priyadharsini Hotel, Station Road, Hospet.
·         Tungabhdra Dam is very near to Hospet. The garden attached to the dam is very beautiful. So don’t miss it.( The dam site is also included in Hampi trip of KSTDC)   

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