Closer to the southern part of India, not far from Goa, there is a city, or rather the village of Hampi. For many years it was one of the many settlements in the jungle. Only a few Indian historians knew about Hampi. And just some 20 years ago, scientists from all over the world became interested in this Indian village. And the reason for such a sudden interest was the suddenly discovered ruins of the capital of a once mighty empire.
Today, the ancient buildings of Hampi are located on a stone plateau surrounded by large boulders. Since 1986, these ruins have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And once there was the city of Vijayangara - the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire. The ancient city was built on the banks of the sacred river Tungabhadra. There is a belief that one who bathes in this ancient Indian river will receive the strongest charge of vivacity, health and energy. Although some travelers say that crocodiles can be found in the river. Therefore, swimming here is a risky business.
The first people in the Hampi area appeared in the 1st century. According to the ancient Indian epic "Ramayana", Hampa is the central city of the kingdom of the Vanaras - ape-like humanoids who were allies of Rama. According to the Ramayana, the Vanaras were brave and strong warriors, adventurous, loyal and honest. They were slightly shorter than humans, and their bodies were covered with a thin layer of fur. The most famous representative of the Vanaras is Hanuman - this is a deity revered in Hinduism, to whom many Indian temples are dedicated.
Further, in this area in 1336, the Hindu Empire of Vijayanagar was formed, which subjugated the entire south of India. The highest level of development in the state was observed in 1422-1446. Historians claim that this Hindu empire was much richer than ancient Rome. Lavish festive ceremonies were held in the temples, in the markets traders sold diamonds in kilograms, and silk - in tons, the palaces of the capital were decorated with gold.
Vijayanagar existed until the Muslim conquerors broke in here and captured and then plundered this, possibly the richest city in India. Modern tourists and researchers can only judge the scale of the ancient buildings by the ruins that have survived here to this day. But Islamic conquerors sought to destroy as many Hindu structures as possible, especially temples. They believed that worshiping the images of God is an insult and idolatry. Therefore, most of the architectural monuments of Vijayanagara were destroyed. And later, treasure hunters also visited here, who in their search for treasures caused additional damage to the monuments of Hampi.
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Today Hampi is home to several of the most important active temples. The ruins, with a total area of just over 25 square kilometers, are an important historical, architectural and religious monument. There are also ancient buildings here, some of them are well preserved. In the part of Hampi called the Royal Center, you can see the Lotus Palace, the elephant arena, the king's bath, and the Hazarama Rama temple. Another part of the village is the Bazaar area, which also contains temples and palace buildings.
Among the most famous Hindu temples in Hampi is Virupaksha, dedicated to Shiva. It appeared even before the founding of the Vajiyanagar Empire. Another temple - Vithala - is known for the fact that melodic sounds emanate from light tapping on its columns. Lotus Palace amazes with its beauty and successful interweaving of Indian and Islamic styles. In addition to viewing the ancient architecture of the city, some tourists climb the tops of boulders, meet sunrises and sunsets on them, admire the local mountain landscapes.