Places to visit inHampi

The best places to visit in Hampi are scattered across a UNESCO-listed field of ruins by the Tungabhadra. This guide to Hampi attractions covers the main temples, the royal centre and the hill viewpoints, with ASI fees where sources confirm them.

Hampi sits on the south bank of the Tungabhadra river in Vijayanagara district, east-central Karnataka. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565 and, by Wikipedia's account, was estimated to be the world's second-largest city around 1500. After a coalition of sultanates defeated the empire in 1565 the city was pillaged and abandoned.

Today more than 1,600 surviving remains, UNESCO says, lie across about 4,100 hectares of granite boulders and banana fields: temples, pillared halls, water tanks, royal platforms and fortifications. The Archaeological Survey of India notes that the monuments were built between AD 1336 and 1570 and that the city was enclosed by seven lines of fortification. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1986. Two clusters organise most visits.

The sacred centre around the Virupaksha Temple, a living temple, lies at the western end of Hampi Bazaar beside the river, with Hemakuta and Matanga hills for viewpoints. The royal centre to the south holds the Lotus Mahal, the Elephant Stables, the Mahanavami Dibba, the Hazara Rama Temple and the Queen's Bath, while the Vittala Temple lies north-east near the river. The nearest large town is Hosapete, about 13 km away, with the nearest railway station at Hosapete Junction.

Karnataka Tourism recommends two to three days. The ASI ticket for foreign visitors is Rs 600, and for SAARC and BIMSTEC nationals Rs 40, with children under 15 free.