Hampi as it is popularly known today is also called Vijayanagara (Vijaya meaning Victory and Nagara meaning City – so it was called as the City of Victory).

Situated amongst the natural fortress of Granite Boulders on one side and River Tungabhadra on the other, Sage Vidyaranya along with two brothers Hakka and Bukka who were the chieftains in the Mughal Dynasty decide to save the Hindu Tradition found Hampi an Ideal location to establish the Kingdom and thus in the year 1336 AD the Kingdom of Vijayanagara came into being.

Four Dynasties ruled the Kingdom for a little over 200 years and the most powerful king amongst the rulers of the dynasty was Sri. Krishnadevaraya who ascended the throne in the year 1509 and ruled for 20 years under whose rule, the kingdom spread through the southern peninsula of the country. Many foreign visitors like Abdul Razzack, Domingo Paes, and Ibn Batuta have described the grandeur of the city in their own ways, they say that the city of Bijadnagar (Vijayanagara) is such that the pupil of the eye hasn’t seen before or the ear hasn’t heard off . . . The hospitality of the Kingdom was such that was never experienced before and shall be experienced henceforth.

The Virupaksha Temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva is one of the oldest performing temples of the country, where the rituals are being performed uninterrupted since 7 AD and the temple being older than the kingdom itself. The Grandeur of the monuments which can be seen at Hampi is the Virupaksha Temple itself, the Main Streets which once sold rubies, diamonds, and pearls on the streets, the Lakshmi Narasimha Idol carved out of single Granite rock, next to it is the Badavi Linga commissioned by a poor woman, the Krishna Temple the idol of which Sri. Krishnadevaraya brought from Udayagiri which is in present Orissa after defeating King of Orissa, the Maharnavami Dibba which was the seat of power during the Celebrations of Dusserah which originated in Vijayanagara Empire, the Hazara Ramaswami temple where one can find the entire Ramayana carved, the Lotus Mahal which housed the Queen’s Zenana and the Elephant Stables which housed the 11 Royal Elephants which is built on Indo-Sarcenic style of architecture, and the most elegant achievements of the Kingdom was the 56 Musical Pillared Hall which is in the Vijaya Vittala Temple enclosure which striking the pillars brings out the 7 Musical Chords and the Stone Chariot carved again carved out of a single Granite rock is a achievement in the field of architecture as one wonders how the Wheels of a Granite Rock carved Chariot could be rotated? Hard to believe! ! ! yes until recently due to excessive mishandling by people the same has been concreted but otherwise the wheels of the stone chariot could be rotated. Such was the achievement of the emperors of the Kingdom throwing out challenge to the modern day engineers to achieve what they have done almost 500 years.

This year the Government has decided to honor and celebrate 500 years of Sri. Krishnadevaraya’s ascending the throne all Credits to the Minister of Tourism Sri. Janardhan Reddy under whose able guidance and leadership Hampi has witnessed vast improvements which the citizens haven’t witnessed in all these years. It would be a visual treat to the eye of the visitor and one can witness the grand and rich tradition and culture that the Kingdom of Vijayanagara has been following through centuries.

Continuing the Rich Tradition and Culture of the Kingdom of Vijayanagara, we at the Heritage Village take this opportunity to Invite you all to visit Hampi and Stay at our Resort to feel the Hospitality that once was a practiced at the Kingdom of Vijayanagara