Hampi is a wonderful gateway for the history buffs.The 14th century city which served as the capital of one of the greatest empires of the world is situated in the Deccan heartland in the state of Karnataka.The history of Hampi goes back to the age of the Hindu epic ‘Ramayana’.The area was known as Vijaypur between the 9th century and 10th century.It was also known as Vijayanagar in 1150 AD. The Vijayanagara empire stretched over three States - Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.It lasted for over twenty years and often called as the golden era of South Indian history.The Empire, that extended from river Krishna to Cape Comorin,included present Orissa.The central portion is called Hampi today.
In 1565 AD when the then ruler Rama Raya was defeated and killed by a confederation of Muslim kings,the place lacked strength and within 6 months it reached the bottom of glory and appeared more like a ghost city than a former capital.
Today Hampi is no less than a treasure land.The ruined city is a world heritage site and one of the fascinating destinations for the history buffs and the archaeologists.
