Hampi

The Latest Hampi Video 

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Shiva Temple 

Nandi, Shiva's Bull Carrier

The ancient city of Hampi spreads across 26 sq kms and was once the capital of the powerful and widespread Vijayanagara Empire which ruled from 1343 to 1565 A.D.. The ruins are some of the finest examples of medieval Indian architecture and include civil, military and spiritual monuments that really attest to the greatness of this Vijayanagara (City of Victory) Empire. 

It is believed this is also the place in the Ramayana called Kishkindha Kshetra where Lord Ramachandra met the monkey king Sugriva and helped him fight a battle against his enemy Vali. Later when Rama's wife, Sita Devi was captured by the demon Ravana, Sugriva's army helped Lord Rama save Her from the island of Lanka.

Hampi is also said to be the birthplace of Hanuman, the half monkey, half wind god who was Rama's greatest devotee. He helped to build a bridge to Lanka by writing the name of Rama on the boulders that when put into the sea had the ability to float. I am sure many boulders are missing from Hampi, having been used to build this bridge to Sri Lanka. Pampa was the ancient name of the river that runs through Hampi, now called the Tungabhadra and the word Hampi is a later Kannada form of the word Pampa.

Hampi is also one of the bread baskets of India and surrounding the hotel I stayed at there are many rice paddies with beautiful white cranes and kingfisher birds in their midst. The monkeys are still here too, by the thousands….check out the short video of the animals I made below - I don't have a portable mic so the sound isn't that gr8....

Some of Hampi's wildlife with voice over