My approach to the Achyutaraya (also known as Tiruvengalanatha) Temple was from Vitthala Temple via a wonderful riverside walk. The whole area is a mass of rocks and boulders, which provided the Hampi sculptors ample opportunity to demonstrate their skills. The entire route between the two temples is littered […]
The superb Vitthaha Temple is likely to be many visitors favourite location in Hampi, and I can see why. The temple is believed to have been built in the early 15th century, although some of the structures including the assembly hall date to the mid 1550s, but a […]
A little southwest of the Krishna Temple in a pavilion just off the main road is perhaps Hampi’s best known sculpture – the extraordinary Narasimha Monolith, also known as the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple. This is a magnificent figure of Vishnu in his Narasimha form (half man, half lion), the fourth incarnation […]
To the south of Hemakuta Hill and the two Ganesha temples is the Krishna Temple, one of four major shrines in the sacred centre of Hampi. You enter the temple via a partially ruined gateway that still has some impressive carvings. Inside you reach an inner courtyard with the […]
Immediately to the north of the Virupaksha Temple is an enormous rock face with steps cut into it, known as Hemakuta Hill. This is not one of the tallest hills in Hampi, but it’s a wonderful location to get splendid views of the sprawling ruins, in particular the […]
Thought to date back to the 7th century and attracting large numbers of Hindu pilgrims, the Virupaksha Temple is likely to be your starting point for any exploration of Hampi. It’s a good choice too, I found Hampi a little disorientating at first as the city is so large […]
Introduction to Hampi in Karnataka. Also known as Vijayanagar, Hampi is one of India’s most important archaeological sites, and one of exceptional beauty.
Pattadakal is one of India’s most artistically impressive Hindu temple complexes, located 15km east of Badami in Karnataka. In total there are nine shrines of differing sizes, in a complex about the size of a football pitch next to the Malaprabha river. Almost all of them are from […]
Kevin Standage 
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