Hampi | 25 Aug 2021

Why in News

Recently, the Vice-president of India visited monuments at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hampi in Vijayanagara district, Karnataka.

Key Points

  • About:
    • The site of Hampi comprises mainly the remnants of the capital city of the Vijayanagara Empire (14th-16th century CE), the last great Hindu Kingdom.
    • It encompasses an area of 4187, 24 hectares, located in the Tungabhadra basin in Bellary District, Central Karnataka.
    • Hampi’s spectacular setting is dominated by river Tungabhadra, craggy hill ranges and open plains with widespread physical remains.
    • One of the unique features of temples at Hampi is the wide chariot streets flanked by the row of pillared mandapas.
    • Its Famous places include Krishna temple complex, Narasimha, Ganesa, Hemakuta group of temples, Achyutaraya temple complex, Vitthala temple complex, Pattabhirama temple complex, Lotus Mahal complex, etc.
  • Background:
    • Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century. The old city of Hampi was a prosperous, wealthy and grand city near the Tungabhadra River, with numerous temples, farms and trading markets.
    • By 1500 CE, Hampi-Vijayanagara was the world’s second-largest medieval-era city after Beijing, and probably India’s richest at that time, attracting traders from Persia and Portugal.
    • The Vijayanagara Empire was defeated by a coalition of sultanates; its capital was conquered, pillaged and destroyed by sultanate armies in 1565 (Battle of Talikota), after which Hampi remained in ruins.
Vijaynagar Empire
  • Vijayanagara or “city of victory” was the name of both a city and an empire.
  • The empire was founded in the fourteenth century (1336 AD) by Harihara and Bukka of Sangama dynasty.
    • They made Hampi as the capital city.
  • It stretched from the river Krishna in the north to the extreme south of the peninsula.
  • Vijayanagar Empire was ruled by four important dynasties and they are:
    • Sangama
    • Saluva
    • Tuluva
    • Aravidu
  • Krishnadevaraya (ruled 1509-29) of the Tuluva dynasty was the most famous ruler of Vijayanagar.
  • He is credited with building some fine temples and adding impressive gopurams to many important south Indian temples.
  • He composed a work on statecraft in Telugu known as the Amuktamalyada.

Source: TH