Hampi

A very apt description of a place which is a favourite haven for archaeologists and historians!!Hampi, situated in south india, karnataka to be precise was the capital of the Vijayanagara empire.The splendour and mystique of a once majestic city, is still evident from the ruins and remains of palaces and royal gateways..which are spread around a area of 25 sq kilometres..

PLACES OF PROMINENCE :

Ganesha statues -there r 2 of them , the 1st one is about 2.5 metres tall and is partially damaged, the second one is bigger but has almost broken down..but for a staunch worshipper of Lord Ganesh, these statues are a must see..Vijayanagar archtecture is very well depicted here!!

Virupaksha temple-This temple is almost completely destroyed but still is in worship

Vittala temple-This is the most prominent and the most important monument in Hampi.Its speciality is the stone chariot, its wheels that actually revolve..

Other sites are..The ugra narsimha statue, the queen’s bath, elephant stables etc..

The saddest part is that inspite of Hampi being a world heritage site, the monuments are not properly preserved..Constant excavations and expeditions have caused some of the structures to break down ..especially the narsimha statue has been damaged beyond repair..