The village Hampi has significant a value, being one of the most interesting tourist attractions in India.

This village has several things that work for its benefit.  Being beside a river, it made life easy for the village folk.  Since it was also surrounded by hills and stones, people had a resource for building materials.  Having a place with everything needed extremely near, the villagers had no reason to look for better living conditions.

History of Hampi

The first mention of the village is in the legendary story Ramayana.  Concrete evidence does not say anything about the city though until the year 1336, when it was made the capital of the Vijayanagara empire.  This empire lasted for more than 2 centuries, and what helped its existence was the easily defensible location of the capital.  Beside Hampi is the Tungabhadra river that is not easy to cross.  On the other three sides were hills that were easy to defend and hard to penetrate.  The area was captured in 1565 by the Deccan Muslim Confederacy.

Tourism in Hampi

There are a lot of archeological sites in Hampi, with new ones springing up every once in a while.  Once of the best places to visit though would not be an archeological site, but an actively used temple.  This is the Virupaksha temple, dedicated to the lord Shiva.  For some reason, this temple was not destroyed by any of the ancient invaders.  Other buildings that were made around the same time as this temple have already been destroyed.  It is said that this temple started out as a simple shrine, but additions were made until it became what it is today.

In Hampi there is also what is called the Zanana enclosure.  Tour guides would explain that these enclosures are for the wives and companions of the king, and made primarily for privacy, though protection was also of importance.  A number of structures are within the enclosure, which are assumed to be there so that those within the enclosure can view what is happening outside.  All but one of these structures still stands, and it is called the Lotus palace.  Showing a combination of Indian and Islamic influences, it is shaped like a lotus flower and displays both beauty and grace.

A tour of Hampi will also prove that the concept of the swimming pool has been around for quite a number of centuries.  Within the royal center of Hampi is what is called the Queen's bath, also referred to as the stepped bath.  Although plain in design from the outside, elaborate carvings are within the building, and in the middle is a brick walled pool.  It is believed that perfumed water and flowers once filled the pond.

A number of other sites are available within Hampi itself, providing more than a glimpse of how the ancient people of Hampi used to live.  The lack of modern technology did not hamper these people from enjoying life, and if these people were able to create such beautiful works of art during the early years of life, one can only think of what they can achieve once they put their minds to work.