The Ruins of Hampi, India

India is a place that has no shortage of great ruins.  Given its long and rich history and the adherence to more than one of the world’s leading religions, monuments have sprung up in many forms.  One great place for people to see a huge collection of monuments all in one spot is the village of Hampi.  Dating back more than 2000 years and located within the larger ruins site of Vijayanagara, there are few places in India with more to offer in the way of amazing architecture.

Though once capital to the Vijayanagara Empire, Hampi actually dates to a much older time.  The village’s origins are from the first century CE and some say that Hampi even has connections to the mythical monkey kingdom.  Throughout the 14^th to 16^th centuries, however, is when this region became the center of the empire.  Finally, Mughal invaders would come and reduce the once great city to the ruins that are there today.

Hampi is spread across an area of about 16 square miles, most of this situated along the main road.  There are more than 500 separate monuments at the site, including numerous temples, baths, stables, palaces, statues, pavilions and more.  Some of the more notable monuments include the VittalaTemple with its 56 musical pillars, the Elephant Stables that used to house the royal elephant steeds and the Hampi Bazaar, a stretch of road more than 2000 feet long and 100 feet wide where the residents of the city would once do their business.  And though these are perhaps the most well known, there are countless other things to see.

Visitors can go explore the ruins at pretty much any time, though certain key attractions are closed once evening falls.  Also, late January of each year brings the Hampi Festival, a celebration of culture among the ruins that features displays of dance, theater, music, fireworks and more over the course of three days.  For more information on Hampi and a great gallery of photos, check out this website.

Hampi Bazaar courtesy of Balajiworld via Wikicommons

VittalaTemple courtesy of Pushpendra Gautam via Wikicommons