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The ruins of Hampi, located in southern
India, are a testament to the greatness of the Vijayanagara
Empire (also referred to as Vijayanagar). The
empire spanned four dynasties and stretched over at
least three states - Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra
Pradesh. The empire was founded in AD 1336 by two
Hindu princes, Harihara and Bukkaraya - more popularly
known as Hukka and Bukka - and continued to grow and
prosper until its sacking in 1565 and ultimate defeat
in 1646. While the rulers of the empire were Hindus
they allied themselves with Muslims and often employed
Muslim servants.
The Vijayanagara Empire was the last great Hindu
kingdom of India, renowned for military achievements
and for re-establishing Indian culture and for the
advancement of Hindu art, music and literature. The
emperors were well known and loved for their religious
tolerance, political maturity and patronage of cultural
monuments. Many clues have been uncovered which indicate
the Vijayanagara Empire was an empire before its time.
An indication of the far-sightedness of the kings
was the fact that they established close ties with
empires outside of the peninsula. There is evidence
for trade routes with China and diplomatic trade links
with Persia, Portugal, Italy and Russia.
The first dynasty to rule the empire were the Sangamgas
(AD 1336-1485) who extended the kingdom from Gulbarga
in the north and Sri Lanka in the south, to Orissa
in the east and Malabar in the west. Following this
dynasty were the Suluvas, whose short reign
from 1485-1491, was probably a result of weak rulers,
political infighting and foreign aggressors.
Historians generally regard the reign of the Tuluvas
(AD 1491-1570) as the golden age of the empire. Two
great kings ruled during this time: Deva Raya (AD
1424-1446) and the greatest of all, Krishandeva
Raya (AD 1509-1530), who was responsible for erected
a vast number of the temples and structures which
can still be found at the site. The battle of Talikota
in 1565 and the invasion by Muslims from the south
of India brought about the downfall of the Tuluva
dynasty and left many of the temples and palaces at
Hampi in ruins. The kingdom lingered on for another
seventy-six years with the Aravidus (AD 1571-1646)
being credited as the last dynasty, but former glories
had long since diminished.
The site of Hampi contains many Hindu and Jain temples,
an audience hall of the king, throne platforms, and
other secular structures. Besides these structures
excavated inside the site, Hampi is surrounded by
more than 500 large and small temples still frequented
by worshipers from all over the world. Each of these
temples is different in both style and architecture.
This particular area was chosen as the location for
the empire's capital not only for its strategic positioning
but also for the wealth of raw material for building.
Many of the huge rocks were themselves sculpted into
temples, producing a style of architecture both organic
and man-made.
The ruins of Hampi lay buried beneath the sand until
just a few decades ago. Many devotees still go there
to worship and a number of the temples are still in
use. Today, Hampi symbolizes the last stronghold of
Hindu art and architecture -the last time in history
where the Hindu style was paramount.
ARCHITECTURE
By the 16th century most of southern India was ruled
by the Vijayanagara Empire. The characteristic feature
of this period was the development of the temple complex:
concentric series of rectangular enclosure walls with
gopuras (towered gateways) in the middle of each
wall, and the most important temple in the middle of
the rectangle. Hampi displays a variation from this
layout of centralized temple with outlying ancillaries.
Religious buildings are scattered about in small units,
each with its own importance and function. Perhaps one
of the reasons for this change was the terrain of the
area, with the plan of the city following the lay of
the land. The temple architecture throughout is based
on the traditional Hindu style - each temple typically
has a sanctum, a passage, an antechamber, and pillared
hall and a kalyana mandapa (marriage hall).
Each dynasty that ruled the Vijayanagara Empire left
its mark at Hampi. The Vijayanagara style of architecture
relied heavily on the availability of natural resources,
namely granite, which was the material used primarily
by the Sangamas. Other dynasties employed the softer
schist rock, suitable for ornate carvings. Many of
the palaces have long since disappeared, as the kings
used wood and bricks in their construction. Some brickwork
is still visible on the gates to the temple courtyards.
The temples of Hampi are famous for their large dimensions,
florid ornamentation, both in painting and carving,
majestic pillars, magnificent pavilions and a great
wealth of religious and mythological depictions, including
subjects from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
The Hampi Bazaar, a long street 32 metres wide
and nearly 728 metres long, runs between Virupaksha
Temple and the foot of the Matanga Hill
and was once lined with magnificent houses and beautiful
mantapas. The Virupaksha Temple rises majestically
at the western end of the Hampi Bazaar. It is the
oldest temple at Hampi, constructed in the 15th century,
and is dominated by its 50 metre tall gopuram.
The sculptures atop the tower reflect the local worship
of the resident deity, Shiva, and inside, the temple
contains the shrines of Shiva, Pampa, and Bhuvaneswari.
The most famous and arguably the most beautiful temple
at Hampi is the Vittala Temple Complex. Built
in the 16th century, the temple has been declared
a World Heritage Monument. The temple is dominated
by 56 ornate monolithic pillars, dubbed the Musical
Pillars. The pillars are superbly carved and when
tapped, the sound reverberates emitting different
musical notes. The eastern section of the complex
holds the famous Stone Chariot. The sculpture,
carved out of stone, depicts an elephant pulling a
chariot so perfectly proportioned and carved with
such superior engineering technology that the wheels
actually rotate.
One of the more unusual structures is the so-called
King's Balance. Legend has it that the wealthy
kings would be weighed on a giant scale against grain
or gold, which was later distributed to the poor.
CONSERVATION
The ruins of Hampi were first discovered in the 1980s
by a farmer who was ploughing his field and came across
a few artifacts. Since then, the Archaeological Survey
of India has been conducting research and excavations
at the site, and UNESCO has also declared Hampi a World
Heritage Site. The Virupaksha Temple is undergoing the
process of reconstruction now that each stone has been
numbered. The temple had been totally submerged under
water, causing extensive damage to the roof beams, which
have now been replaced, and work on closing the roof
with mortar is being carried out.
Excavation work is still in progress at Hampi, and
much more needs to be done. Many of the 500 odd temples
are in a dilapidated state and could crumble at any
time. Added to the threat of natural disintegration
are the ever-present relic robbers and traders who
are quickly ruining the site.
LOCATION
Hampi is located in the central part of the state
of Karnataka, in southern India. It is
353 km from Bangalore and 13 km from Hospet. This location
was the obvious choice for the capital of the empire,
as it is naturally fortified and protected on all sides;
in the north by the mighty Tungabhadra river, and on
the other three sides by steep, rocky mountains with
massive boulders of granite. The treacherous terrain
provided ample defense, and the few areas of access
were well defended. The ruins of Hampi lie scattered
in an approximately 26 square kilometer area, where
the land was also fertile and had an abundant water
supply.
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