Hampi Tourism: Hotels, Reviews, Packages, Photos, Maps, Experience, Itinerary

Listed as a World Heritage Site, Hampi the city of ruins is one of the most captivating historical sites of South India. It houses as many as 500 monuments, each with a story behind it, reflecting a fascinating history reaching the pinnacle of glory and then stumbling to a decline of utter neglect. The name Hampi originated from the word Pampa, the ancient name for the River Tungabhadra that flows through the city. There are many other names that it goes by - Vijayanagara named after the ruling kingdom and capital city, and Virupakshapura named after the revered deity Shiva. Hampi is also a sacred place for the Hindus as it is believed that Pampa was Lord Brahma's daughter, who married Lord Shiva, and thus the place was called Pampakshetra. Around it grew the biggest ever empire of South India, the Vijayanagar Empire in 1336 A.D. till