The story behind the pictures of Hampi ruins

Doors within elephant stable

Elephants stables

Hampi ruin

Sample of carvings

heads eroding over the yrs

cows and birds among the ruins

Queen’s resting spot and clock tower

In the 15^th to the 17^th century, Hampi was the capital of one of the largest Hindu empires in Indian history and the home of more than 500,000 people. The nobility and subsequent kings built huge palaces in the surrounding area using the giant granite boulders as natural fortifications or building materials. Using its own minted coins, the members of the empire controlled the Indian spices and Arabian horses market and a vast tract of southern India until utterly defeated and looted by the Muslims in a decisive battle in 1565.

Now, the laborers and some town people live in the ruins of the 500 year bazaar and foreign tourists populate the guest houses and restaurants which represents much Hampi’s livable area squeezed between the hills and the river. Now, the sole economic base appears to be tourism. Hindus come for pilgrimages to the many famous temples and non-Hindus come for the UNESCO World Heritage ruins and the amazing granite boulder landscapes but stay for its small town, lazy charm. The more energetic tourists come for some of the best low altitude climbing in India and maybe in the world.

I won’t bore you with the details behind all the pictures of the ruins and the famous temples but just post them here in the hopes that you spend a moment or two admiring the ingenuity and artistry of an empire long ago.