Hampi

Hampi
ಹಂಪೆ
Hampe
Town

Virupaksha Temple, Hampi, Karnataka
Hampi
Coordinates: 15°20′06″N 76°27′43″E / 15.335°N 76.462°ECoordinates: 15°20′06″N 76°27′43″E / 15.335°N 76.462°E
Country India
State Karnataka
District Bellary
Founded by Harihara and Bukkaraya
Elevation 467 m (1,532 ft)
Languages
 • Official Kannada
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Nearest city Hospet
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Group of Monuments at Hampi
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Type Cultural
Criteria (i)(iii)(iv)
Reference 241
UNESCO region Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription 1986 (10th Session)
Endangered 1999–2006

Hampi (Hampe) is a village in northern Karnataka, India. The name hampi can also mean "champion".It is located within the ruins of the city of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Predating the city of Vijayanagara, it continues to be an important religious centre, housing the Virupaksha Temple, as well as several other monuments belonging to the old city. The ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi.[1] According to statistics of 2014, Hampi is the most searched historical place in Karnataka on Google.[2]

Etymology

'Hampi traditionally known as Pampa-kshetra, Kishkinda-kshetra or Bhaskara-kshetra is derived from Pampa, which is the old name of the Tungabhadra River on whose southern banks the city is built.[3] The name "Hampi" is an anglicized version of the Kannada Hampe (derived from Pampa). Over the years, it has also been referred to as Vijayanagara and Virupakshapura (from Virupaksha, the patron deity of the Vijayanagara rulers).

History

Hampi Map, 1911

The emperor Ashoka's minor rock edicts in Nittur & Udegolan (both in Bellary district) lead one to believe that this region was within the Ashokan kingdom during the 3rd century BCE. A Brahmi inscription & a terracotta seal dating to the 2nd century CE were also discovered from the excavation site.[4]

The first historical settlements in Hampi date back to 1 CE.

Immediately before the rise of the Vijaynagara kings, the region was probably in the hands of chiefs of Kampili, now a small town, 19 km east of Hampi.[4]

Hampi formed one of the core areas of the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1343 to 1565, when it was finally laid siege to by the Deccan Muslim confederacy.[1] Hampi was chosen because of its strategic location, bounded by the torrential Tungabhadra river on one side and surrounded by defensible hills on the other three sides.

The site is significant historically and architecturally. The topography abounds with large stones which have been used to make statues of Hindu deities. The Archaeological Survey of India continues to conduct excavations in the area, to discover additional artifacts and temples.

Geography

Hampi is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra river. It is 353 km from Bangalore and 74 km away from Bellary. Hosapete (Hospet), 13 km away, is the nearest railway head. Mantralayam, which is also on the banks of Tunghabhadra, in AP is some 150 km away.The principal industries of the village are agriculture, the support of the Virupaksha temple and some other local holy places in the vicinity, as well as tourism. The annual Vijayanagara Festival is organized by the Government of Karnataka in November.

Due to the presence of several mineral deposits in this region (iron-ore, manganese), mining has been done for a number of years. A recent boom for the supply of iron-ore in the international market has led to increased levels of mining in this district. Some feel that the World Heritage Site at Hampi as well as the Tungabhadra Dam is under threat as a result.

Architecture

The city of Vijayanagara was originally encompassed by seven lines of fortifications. These fortifications had a large number of bastions & gateways. The seventh & the innermost fortification enclosed the main city & is the best preserved.[5] The extant monuments of Vijayanagara or Hampi can be divided into Religious, Civil & Military buildings. While most of the monuments at Hampi are from the Vijayanagara period, a small proportion may be assigned to pre-Vijayanagara times. The Jain temples on Hemakuta hill, the two Devi shrines & some other structures in the Virupaksha temple complex predate the Vijanagara empire. The earliest amongst them, the Shaiva shrines with their stepped pyramidal vimanas or superstructures, date to the early Chalukyan period around ninth-tenth century AD.[6]

Religious buildings

Hampi has various notable Hindu temples with some vedanta mythology inside the temples, some of which are still active places of worship. Among the most notable are:

The sacred pushkarani or tank located on the eastern side of Krishna temple in Hampi, India
The mantapas of Vittala temple
The stone chariot at Vittala complex

The temple houses the famous musical pillars. The British wanted to check the reason behind this wonder and so they had cut two pillars to check anything was there inside the pillars that was producing the sound. They had found nothing but hollow pillars. Even today we can see those pillars cut by the British.

The road leading to the temple was once a market where the horses were traded. Even today we can see the ruins of the market on both the sides of the road. The temple contains the images of foreigners like Persians selling horses.

Civil buildings

Military buildings

Elephant Stable

Important sites at and near Hampi

Schematic map of Hampi with major tourist spots and areas of mythological significance

Global Heritage Fund efforts

Non-profit organization Global Heritage Fund (GHF), in partnership with the Hampi Foundation, Cornell University, and the State of Karnataka, has been actively involved in the conservation of Hampi's unique cultural heritage. After producing a master conservation plan for the site of Chandramouleshwara Temple, GHF's efforts have moved to "stabilization of the temple and its associated structural features."[8]

Scenery

Hampi Scenery, 360° Panorama Shot from Matanga Hill

Hampi Gallery

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Group of Monuments at Hampi". World Heritage. Retrieved 2006-12-20.
  2. ↑ "Hampi most searched historical place in Karnataka on Google". economictimes.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  3. ↑ D Devakunjari. World Heritage Series: HAMPI. Eicher Goodearth Limited, New Delhi for Archeological Survey of India. p. 08. ISBN 81-87780-42-8.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 D Devakunjari (2007). World Heritage Series HAMPI. Eicher Goodearth Limited, New Delhi for Archeological Survey of India. p. 11. ISBN 8187780428.
  5. ↑ D Devakunjari (2007). World Heritage Series HAMPI. Eicher Goodearth Limited, New Delhi for Archeological Survey of India. p. 32. ISBN 8187780428.
  6. ↑ D Devakunjari (2007). World Heritage Series HAMPI. Eicher Goodearth Limited, New Delhi for Archeological Survey of India. pp. 22, 23. ISBN 8187780428.
  7. ↑ "Shimla, Himachal Pradesh – Expert Bulletin". Expertbulletin.com. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  8. ↑ Global Heritage Fund - Where We Work - Hampi, India Accessed on 2009-04-24.

9. http://www.incrediblehampi.org/

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Group of monuments at Hampi.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Hampi.