Hampi Bazaar is a sprawling market place that’s more than 1 km long. Located in front of Virupaksha temple, it’s also called Virupaksha market.
Hampi Bazaar was a highly prosperous, thriving market place between 14th and 16th century CE!
The market has continuous series of pavilions on both the sides – some single storied, some double storied – with more than 100 feet-wide-road in between. Largely intact even today. It’s grand!
Virupaksha temple is located at the west-end of the Bazaar. A Nandi (bull) statue is located at the east-end of the Bazaar, from where one could proceed further eastwards to Achuta Raya temple or towards south to Matanga hill or for a River-side walk to the north.
Standing at the Hampi Bazaar one gets a mixed feeling; What an organised, classy, flourishing market place it must have been! 500+ years ago!
Location: https://goo.gl/maps/r1oNLtqDDZFnnsiY7
# drive #nature #heritage
About Hampi:
Hampi (Kishkinda), Karnataka is situated on the banks of river Tungabhadra 340 km north of Bengaluru.
With more than 1,600 monuments covering ~40 sq kms, Hampi is a World Heritage Site and World’s Largest Open-air Museum.
Hampi, referred to as Kishkinda in Ramayana, has ancient history traceable to thousands of years.
Most of the current day ruins were built by Vijayanagara kings during 1336 – 1565 CE.
Hampi at one time was most prosperous and considered to be the largest city in the World. As per the chronicles of European and Persian travellers, Hampi had dedicated trading markets for diamonds, pearls, silks, brocades, and had opulent palaces, marvelous temples, royal quarters, embassies for foreign emissaries, massive fortifications, large pools, baths, water management systems, aquaducts, pavilions, stables, riverside features, pillared halls, Mandapas, memorial structures, gateways and defence check posts.
Hampi – it’s a living museum!
