Hotels in Hampi

Car Rental in Hampi

HAMPI                                               General Information of Hampi

"Vijayanagara is such that the pupil of the eye has never seen a place like it ..." so eulogised Abdul Razaq, a Muslim envoy, who visited Hampi. 343 km from Bangalore and 74 km from Bellary, Hampi - a world heritage centre - is the most beautiful and evocative of all the ruins in Karnataka. The Tungabhadra river flows through Hampi, on the banks of which, it is said, the Goddess Hampi (Parvati) attained Lord Shiva. This city was praised by historians like, Nuniz and Paes, as being greater than Rome, its palaces plated with jewel-encrusted gold, simply the 'bets provided city in the world'.

The erstwhile capital of the Vijayanagar kingdom, Hampi is full of delightful surprises. In the 13th century, the markets here overflowed with luxuriant silks, brilliant diamonds, rubies and emeralds. Today, the Market Place with its ancient, roofless stalls is a riot of colour on festive nights, when the Virupaksha Temple is all ablaze with lamps.

Hampi, Vijaynagar - was once the capital of the largest Hindu empires in the Indian history. Founded by the Telugu princes Harihara and Bukka in 1336, it reached the height of its glory under Krisnadevaraya (1509-29) when it controlled the whole of peninsula, except for a string of commercial principalities along the Malbar coast. Hampi had trade connections with international markets. Hindu, Muslim and Jain religions were practiced. The Brahmins were a privileged class. Sati (during of the wife on husband's pyre) and Devdasi system (temple prostitution) were common and widely practiced. Brahmini inscriptions discovered on the site date the first settlement here back to the 1st century AD and suggest that there was a Buddhist center nearby. The empire came to a sudden end after the battle of Talikota when the city was ransacked by the confederacy of the Deccan Sultans.

ABOUT HAMPI

Hampi, are one of the most fascinating historical sites in south India. The superb ruins are set in a strange and beautiful boulderstrewn  landscape which has an almost magical quality.
Hampi has become a thriving travelers center and most people stay at least a couple of days to soak up the atmosphere and explore the area. If you're in a hurry, you can see the main sites in one day, either by bicycle or on foot. Signposting in some parts of the site is inadequate, but you can't really get lost. It's not wise to wander around the ruins alone at dawn or dusk, since occasional muggings occur. There are two points of entry to the ruins. Hampi Bazaar and the small village of Kamalapuram to the south. Most people prefer to start in Hampi Bazaar and walk of cycle to the main sites and then visit the museum at Kamalapuram. From Kamalapuram there are buses back to Hampi Bazaar (and to Hospet), or you can walk back along the road to Hampi Bazaar in about 40 minutes. There are restaurants in Hampi Bazaar and Kamalapuram, as well as a few soft drink and snack vendors at key monuments.

Population              :  930

Telephone Code     :  08394

Season                   :  Can be visited year-round but its best between September and March.

PLACES TO EAT

Hampi Bazaar

There are plenty of simple restaurants and soft-drink stalls on the main street of Hampi Bazaar.

Sri Venkateshwara

It is most established restaurant and it serves Tiffin and western snacks at lunch and thails in the evening.

TRAVEL INFO

Buses run roughly along the 13 km stretch between Hampi Bazaar and Hospet. The first bus from Hospet is at 6.30 am, and the last one back leaves Hampi at 8.30 pm. There are also regular buses between Hospet and Kamalapuram.
The first bus from Hospet leaves Kamalapuram at 10 pm.

Only few buses link Hampi Bazaar and Kamalapuram, but you can negotiate this short stretch easily in an auto-rickshaw.