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Hampi Temple History and architecture

The Hampi Temple is located in Hampi, a very small and beautiful village in Karnataka. Hampi stands on the slopes of the River Tungabhadra in the eastern part of Karnataka. The ruins of the old temple and structures of Vijayanagar is the main attraction of this place. Do you know how many temples are there in Hampi? It has over 20 magnificent temples. Moreover, the Hampi temples are splotch complexes from the Vijayanagara Empire.  But, the temple was destroyed in the past. Visitors from all over the world come to visit the damages which are the proof of splendour and frill that this place was.

Virupaksha temple Hampi – Mystery

The Virupaksha Temple is the centre of Hampi. The word Virupaksha means eyes without aspect. Virupa means there is no aspect, and Raksha means eyes.  The Virupaksha temple’s speciality is, it is the most spiritual sanctuary over the centuries. The Virupaksha temple Hampi was built by Chalukyas in the 7th century and later expansions were made by King Vijayanagara, Krishnadevaraya.

The mystery of the Virupaksha temple is that a shadow is naturally formed when an object blocks the light. When sunlight falls on the object it blocks the light due to which there is a formation of shadow. The shadow has to fall in front of the object so somehow our forefather was able to make it fall through an opening and this opening is acting as a mirror. The manifestation of inverting shadow is still a mystery. 

There is a tower, on the left side of the temple, where a baby elephant stays. When we give a one-rupee coin to the elephant he collects the coin with his trunk and then kisses it on the head as a blessing. Do you know which god is in Hampi? The temple of Hampi is devoted to Lord Virupaksha, a form of Shiva.

Virupaksha temple Hampi -Architecture

The Virupaksha Temple Architecture is fascinating. Also, It has a marvellous hall with graceful pillars and three antechambers. There is a small yard, a pillared sanctuary, and statues surrounding the temple. The temple has a religious spot. There are many gates in the temple. Among all the gates, the eastern gates are enormous. It is seven-tiered and 40 meters in length. Moreover, the framework of the gate is like a brick and contains a grain base way towards the exit.  There is a gopuram in the temple, graced with three stories. The gopuram towards the north takes the tourists to a little compartment with additional sanctums.

King Vijayanagara, Krishnadevaraya was the patron of the temple.  He built the main pillared hall which is one of the most adorned structures of the temple. There is a stone table beside the hall which has the description of his offerings for the temple. In the vicinity of the Virupaksha temple are some shabby mandapams. There is an antique shopping centre with mandapams in front of this temple.

Vittala Temple Hampi

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The Vittala Temple Hampi is a historical monument that is famous for its extraordinary architecture and unpaired craftsmanship. The Vittala temple is located near the banks of the Tungabhadra River, in the northeastern part of Hampi. It is one of the safest and famous hierarchies in Hampi. It has remarkable stone structures, a unique stone chariot, and extraordinary musical pillars.

 The Vittala Temple has the beautiful Stone Chariot, which is one of the most incredible architectures of the Vijayanagara kingdom. The Stone Chariot is in the courtyard of the Vittala temple. It has the shape of a decorative chariot. This beautiful stone chariot is devoted to Garuda. It has an image of Garuda enshrined into the temple. According to Hindu myth, Garuda is the carrier of Lor

d Vishnu. Do you know who builds the stone chariot at Hampi? The stone chariot was built by King Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire.

Vittala Temple – Unique musical pillar

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The Musical pillar of the Vittala, Hampi Temple is also a tourist attraction. There are  56 musical pillars appropriately.  Musical pillars are also called SAREGAMA pillars, implying musical memos. There are main pillars and pairs of minor pillars inside the Mandapam. The main pillar provides support to the ceiling Mandapam. It is designed as a musical instrument. The main pillar is surrounded by 6 minor pillars. The emission of musical notes from stone pillars is still a mystery but it is an attraction for tourists. The music heard from these pillars varies in sound relying on the weather.

Even the British rulers of India were surprised and wanted to find out the secret behind it. They wanted to know about the mystery behind these incredible pillars so they cut two of the musical pillars to check what is inside. But lastly, they found nothing inside the pillars.

Other famous Hampi temple

Why is Hampi temple so famous? Hampi Temple is famous because Hampi Temple is significantly classified into  Jain,  Hindu, and comprising a collection of market networks, synagogues, statues, hill monuments, water bower, baby elephant, community kitchens and streams, chapel and shrine. All these structures have unique features. Everyone should visit the Hampi temple at least once.

Hazara Ram temple

Hampi has a beautiful Hazara Ram temple. The temple is famous because of the existence of historical objects and fossils. These historical objects and fossils were assessed at the time of Ram and Krishna’s period. The outer walls of the Hazara Ram temple are uncovered and ornamented with souvenir objects that narrate the holy life story of Lord Ram. The fossils and antique objects present in the temple are some of the unusual things found in India.

Big Shivlinga, Hampi Temple

This temple is carved out of a single stone. Moreover, the Shivlinga stands at a height of 3 meters over the water. It is an important attraction in the Hampi temple. Carved from black stone, the shiva linga stands since the Vijayanagara Empire. The Shivalinga is constructed in such a way that it has no roof and the whole state floods with light. The Shivalinga rests on a pedestal.

Monkey Temple

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This temple is 500 years old and is dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Sri Vyasaraja of the Vijayanagara Kingdom and a Dwaita scholar was the one who built the idol of Lord Hanuman in the temple. It’s the most famous attraction of Hampi and is considered a sacred spot for Hindus. Tourists have to climb 560 steps to reach the temple as it is located on top of the hill. While climbing the temple, beautiful views and pleasant air can be seen.  Tourists need energy and devotion to climb the temple. 

Achyutaraya Temple

The Achyutaraya Temple was built in 1534 AD, is one of the prominent temples in Hampi. This temple is also known as the Tiruvengalanatha Temple, after God Shiva. It was the last temple built during the Vijayanagara Empire. It has new architecture in comparison to the other temples of Hampi. The carvings of the temple depict mythic legends on pillars, walls, and blocks.

Kadalekalu Ganesh

The Kadalekalu Ganesh temple is a religious attraction in Hampi. The temple has formal stone architecture and is located on Hemakuta Hill. It has a huge statue of Lord Ganesha, one of the biggest in the world. The temple is called Kadalekalu because the stomach of God is chiselled to look like a Bengal gram.

Lakshmi Narasimha Temple

This temple features the biggest efficiency of Hampi. There is an idol showing Narasimha sitting on Shesha Naga (seven-headed snake), giving shelter to him. The ideal of Goddess Lakshmi is also placed along with Narasimha. The statue is known to be the biggest monolith statue in Hampi. The statue was built in 1529 AD ago.  But the statue was destroyed when the Mughals raided Hampi. The current status of the statue is that the ruins of the statue are kept at the Archaeological Museum.

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Hemakuta Hill Hampi Temple

The Hemakuta Hill temple is devoted to Lord Shiva. It stands on the southern side of Hampi and it is one of the most ancient temples of Hampi. The Hemakuta Temple was constructed between the 10th and 14th Centuries. Even the architectural styles are different from the rest of the temples in Hampi.

Pattabhirama Temple

It was built in the early 16th century and it was genuine to Lord Ram. Pattabhirama Temple is the centre of all artistic and economic activity. The temple is facing in the east. It comprises a courtyard with columns, a roofed mandapam, and a gopuram door. The most fascinating feature of the Pattabhirama temple is its hundred-pillared hall. Visitors can have meals, rich in assistance depicting Hindu gods and goddesses.

The Reason behind the destruction of Hampi

The sultanates of Golconda, Bijapur, Ahmadnagar were trying to capture the Hampi but had failed every time. During the last battle at Talikota, many sultanates appeared together against the Vijayanagara Empire.

The empire’s army was strong for the united union of the Sultanates. But unfortunately, a huge division of the Vijayanagar Empire turned side and helped the Sultanates capture the 70-year old king, which led to violence and the army was doomed. When the news of the defeat reached Maharashtra kings then a few thieves arrived at Hampi to loot. The process took around months. But lastly, the Sultanates came and destroyed and burnt down the entire city. This is the reason why Hampi was fully destroyed after the battle of Dakota by the joint forces of the Islamic sultanate.

Interesting facts about Hampi

Hampi was called Pampa-Kshetra after Hindu Deity Pampa. It is said that God Parvati led the life of a yogini in the hills of Hampi, to reach Shiva, marry him. So the river which flows through the hill was called the Pampa River and the land was called Kshetra. Later Hampi was called Pampe in Kannada. Hampi is the anglicized version of Kannada.

Lord Ganesha was a food lover. A tale comes in the picture related to the design of the houses. Once lord Ganesha filled himself with food up to the brim of his stomach. He couldn’t stop himself because the place was filled with his favourite delicacies. Lord Ganesha, in order to sustain the food in his stomach, tied a snake around his stomach.

Based on this incident, the design of the temple has been influenced. The statue of Ganesha has him holding a goad and shattered tusk in both upper hands, the right hand of the statue holds a Modak and the left holds a noose. There are a total of 43 royal houses in Hampi. . Royal families of that period used to stay in these houses. This place is near Lotus Mahal. This place was once built for queens and other royal ladies of the Vijayanagara Empire. But sadly, most of the royal enclosures are destroyed.

Water bower-

There is a square water bower surrounded by a vaulted and pillared basin. Queens of that era would bathe there. Indo-Islamic effects in the inner structures are shown. Tourists can see the ruins of a water bower. Also, it was used to carry water from Hampi to pits, tanks, and other parts of the city. Moreover, the Vijayanagara Empire has been credited for building the most extensive water bower in the South.

You may also be interested to read Lepakshi Temple: Hanging pillar, Shivling, Footprint | History and mystery

Conclusion:

Hampi Temple is famous for its ruins belonging to the medieval Hindu kingdom of Vijaynagar. The speciality of this temple is that it is declared as a World Heritage site. In addition, Hampi is considered the largest open-air museum in the world and was the capital of the flourishing Vijayanagara Empire. It is also one of the most popular holiday destinations. UNESCO World Heritage Site has included the Hampi temple in its list.

Hampi is also a bird-watching destination. There are many rare species of birds and reptiles. Moreover, the famous Daroji wildlife sanctuary is located in the south of Hampi. Also, it is the home of the endangered Indian Sloth bear. Apart from the Sloth bear, antelopes, peafowl, and an impressive range of flora and fauna are also found in Hampi.

Hampi even today continues to attract tourists. October to March is called the best time to plan your visit to Hampi and its beautiful temple. This is the time when you can find a huge crowd in the city. However, if someone does not like the crowd, then he should plan his tour in the monsoon or summer months. Tourists need a full day to explore the various sites of Hampi. So now bag your bag and plan your adventure trip to Hampi Temples.

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