Private Custom Tour: Hampi & Hospet Sightseeing with Guide

It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and has beautifully carved walls, each telling a mythological story. The temple houses a shrine for Virupaksha and another for Sage Vidyaranya. Virupaksha Temple is an important shrine for worshippers of Lord Shiva. It is located on the south banks of Tungabhadra. The Temple, ever since its inception in 7th Century AD has never had a non-functional day, making it one of the oldest temples in an uninterrupted run in India.

The reservoir has a storage capacity of 1, 32,559 million cubic feet of water spread over an area of 379 Sq. km.

Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire around 1500 AD, and by some accounts, the second largest city in the world at that time. Over the next centuries it fell out of importance, and now there lie ruins of a lot of temples and other structures spread out over a vast area. The terrain around Hampi is as mysterious as the ruins itself - the city is surrounded by boulders of different sizes, and you can climb to the top of them with a little effort to get a stunning view of the entire city and the geography. It is located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. Famous for its massive, beautifully carved temples, Hampi tells the stories of its existing structures. Many a visitor climb atop the Matangaparvata and get a glimpse of Hampi and its environs. The way the city was built with temples and bazaars is exemplary in itself. On the North banks of the river Tungabhadra is the first capital of the Vijayanagar Empire, Anegundi, the temples and stories abound, which will help one to get a better understanding of the local heritage.

The main gate has an impressive arch with carvings, and opens in a large courtyard which has the famous stone chariot in the center. The famous stone chariot, which has become an iconic symbol of the architecture of Hampi, is located inside the premises of this temple. The main temple is located just behind the chariot and has beautiful carvings. There are also several other smaller temples inside the courtyard, all of which are definitely worth a visit. The carvings on the walls/pillars of these structures depict various gods in different forms.

An elegant example of the fusion of the Hindu and Muslim style of architecture, the Mahal (Palace) derives its name from its beautiful, geometrically arranged cusped arches that resemble the petals of a lotus flower opening to the sun.

This bazaar is facing the Virupaksha temple and hence is also known as the Virupaksha Bazaar. You can buy handicrafts, musical instruments, leather products and much more.