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 | Glorious ruins - Hampi |  |  | | | | | | | | | Its days of glory may be long gone but it still attracts visitors to its magnificent ruins. Hampi in Karnataka, once the historical city of victory, stands proud with its architectural marvels, and the glory of its past.
The ruins speak volumes of its glory and the destructions due to invasions. The monuments also speak of man's immense creative talents shown in the architectural splendour that abounds Hampi. As is evident, these wonders have stood the test of time. | |  | | | | | | |  The splendid remains of the palaces and gateways, monuments and temples narrate stories not only of the fabulous wealth and prosperity of this kingdom, but also of the greatness of the king's generosity, in distributing the wealth among the people. The bazaars overflowed with merchants selling precious stones.It is believed that the king weighed himself and his weight was measured in gold, which was then distributed among the poor.
Hampi ruins are spread over an area of 26sq kms. The architectural marvels of Hampi are known for their ornate designs, delicate carvings and splendid pavilions. The depictions are mostly, from the Indian epics. | | | | | | Close to Hampi is the site of Badami, which like Hampi, abounds in some architectural marvels like the rock cut caves and sandstone temples.
The ideal time to visit would be between November and March. Summers can get really hot and would not be the best time to visit the ruins.
Add some historical moments to your holiday. Hampi has enough of it and more | | | | | | Places to see | | |  | | | | | | | |  | Ruins to see and admire are many. The Queen's palace, noted for its ornate pavilion called the Lotus Mahal, pillared mandapas | | | | | with elevations and enclosures that were designed with such elegance that would leave one gaping at it. | | | | | | | | | | The Royal Enclosure is a fortified campus with its numerous pillars, underground temple, and aquatic structure. | | | | | | | | | | The Vitthala temple in Hampi is an excellent example of Vijayanagar style architecture with its massive monolithic statues of Lakshmi, | | | | | Narasimha and Ganesha that are monolithic. | | | | | | | | | | The Virupaksha Temple is one of the earliest structures to be built in Hampi. | | | | | | | | | | The temple complex houses a shrine for the goddess Pampadevi who is believed to be an incarnation of the goddess Parvati. | | | | | The other temples of similar architecture are the Krishna temple and Pattabhirama temple which are situated close by. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Fact File | | | | | | | | | | |  | | Hampi is about 350 kilometers (217 miles) north of Bangalore. The entry point is the Hospet Town. From Hospet town, Hampi is 14 kilometers away. The roads are smooth but it can get narrow at some stretches. . | | | | | | | | | |  | | The nearest airport to Hampi is Bellary (60km/ 37miles) and Bangalore (350 km/ 217 miles). | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |