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Hampi is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra river. It is 353 km from
Bangalore, 254 km from Bijapur and 74 km away from Bellary. Hospet, 13 km
away, is the nearest taluka headquarters. The chief language spoken is
Kannada. The principal industries of the village are agriculture, the
support of the Virupaksha temple and some other local holy places in the
vicinity, and tourism. The annual Vijayanagar Festival is organized by the
Government of Karnataka in November. Due to the presence of several
mineral deposits in this region (iron-ore, manganese), mining of these
minerals has been going on for many years now. But a recent boom for the
supply of iron-ore in the international market has led to excessive mining
in this district. The World Heritage Site at Hampi as well as the
Tungabhadra Dam are now under threat.
The City has been given Limited connectivity to preserve the character
with no scarcity in elctricity, good GSM network coverages and amenities,
it is becoming a popular tourist destination as on Oct 2007.
Hampi, as it is popularly known today was the medieval capital of the
Hindu empire Vijayanagara (the City of Victory). Hampi in the Karnataka
state of India is listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Hampi is charismatic even in its ruined state. It attracts thousands of
tourists and pilgrims every year. Vast stretches of boulder-strewn hills
make the backdrop of Hampi unique.
Dotted around the hills and valleys are 500 plus monuments. Among them are
beautiful temples, basement of palaces, remains of aquatic structures,
ancient market streets, royal pavilions, bastions, royal platforms,
treasury buildings.., the list is practically endless. Hampi is a
backpackers’ paradise, the same way the pilgrims’ delight.
In Hampi at every turn there is a surprise. Every monument hides more than
what they reveal. As an open museum, Hampi has numerous popular (100
plus!) locations visitors throng. |
