Exploring India’s largest Open Air Museum: Hampi

Hampi is one of the most popular historical tourist destinations in South India. Hampi is near Hospet town in the Bellary district of Karnataka state. Historically significant Hampi is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Aerial view of Hampi

In the history of India from ancient to medieval times, Hampi is mentioned again and again, sometimes as Kishkindhya of Ramayana and sometimes as Vijayanagar, the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Hampi is surrounded by many big hills including Hemkuta, Malayabhant, Matunga, Rishyamukh, Anjanadri, etc. and through these hills flows the calm and beautiful river Tungabhadra, with which a special emotion of Bengali people is attached because of the novel 'Tungabhadrar Teere' by well-known writer Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay.

Tungabhadra River

Harihara and Bukka founded the kingdom of Vijayanagara in 1336 AD. A reign of 310 years by 29 kings of four dynasties, King Krishnadeva Raya is the best among them who was well-known as a hero, lover, artist, writer, scholar, and pious. Raja Krishnadeva Raya was the author of 'Amuktamalyada', the greatest gem of Telugu literature. Ashtadigvaja was the glory in his Raj Sabha, along with Tenali Ram. This was the golden age of the Vijayanagara Empire. The Royal Enclosure covers a few acres of land. So many palaces, so many temples, elephant stables, horse stables, baths... almost nothing remains. It was looted for a month. After winning the battle of Talikota in 1535 AD, the sultanate rulers pounced like hungry tigers on the rich Vijayanagara state. They took what they could, else they broke the artifacts. What still survives among the ruins is amazing. 

Watch Tower

Hampi is a big place, it takes time to see. Hampi is divided into five parts for the convenience of travelers… 1. Hemkuta and Matunga Hills region, 2. Achyutaraya temple area, 3. Palace area, 4. Kamalapur and adjacent areas, 5. Anegandi (on the other side of the Tungabhadra river). From the west, you can see the Ugra Narasimha idol, then Krishna temple and go towards Virupaksha temple. It is the oldest Shiva temple in Hampi, a masterpiece of Dravidian architecture. Local belief is that god Shiva and goddess Parvati got married in this temple. Leaving the temple, the road goes straight towards Hampi Bazaar. Leaving the market on both sides, the road ends at the Monolithic Bull Temple. This is where the world-famous bazaar used to be, with diamond and jewelry stalls. Merchants from many faraway countries used to come here to trade. Vijayanagar was then considered the second most famous city in the world. From here, one can walk along the banks of the Tungabhadra River and reach the famous Vishnu temple, Vijaya Vittala temple through the Achyutaraya Temple complex area. Inside the great Vijaya Vittala temple are the famous stone chariots and musical pillars that have been mesmerizing us for ages. 

Vijaya Biththala Temple Complex

Stone Chariot

Other notable places in Hampi include Mahanavami Dibba, Hazara Rama temple, Badavi Shiva Linga, Pushkarini (Stepped tank), Kamal Mahal, and Queen’s Bath. Taking the help of a trained guide is essential to explore and understand Hampi well.

Stepped well

Mahanavami Dibba

The direct train from Kolkata to Hospet is Amravati Express, a 32-hour journey. There are plenty of options to stay and eat.

 After all, it is almost impossible to explore Hampi completely just by visiting once. After Rome in Italy, Hampi is well-known as the second-largest open-air museum in the world. A traveler's experience remains incomplete without visiting Hampi.