The stone chariot in hampi belonged to which mythological figure?

Hampi, once the former capital of Vijayanagar Empire is; now a forgotten empire, a vast open museum of abundant history, architecture and religion; in the middle of the giant rock boulders. Situated at the bank of river Tungbhadra in Northern Karantaka, Hampi is charismatic even in its ruined state. Every year, Thousands of tourists and pilgrims reach to see this poetry in the stones at this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hampi or Hampe was a surprised and quick visit for me. I reached there in a sunday morning while returning back from Badami to Hyderabad via Bellary. I reached Bellary in the night and stayed with my friend who was working there at Jindal Steel Plant. I still had Sunday in my hand before reporting to my training center in Hyderabad on Monday. Unaware of its vastness and without any plan, I decided to go Hampi, which is almost 3 hours away from Bellary. Except the Iconic Stone Chariot of Hampi, Bravery Tales of brother duo Harihar and Bukka, and the Greatness of King Krishna Deva Raya, I did not know anything about Hampi. Later, I realized at least four days are required to visit Hampi and at least 10 days to experience Hampi.I visited the area between Virupaksha Temple to Vittala Temple, to be precise I visited Virupaskha Temple, Hemkunta Hills, Achyutaraya Temple and Vittala Temple there alongwith ruins of Hampi Bazaar, Courtseans Street etc. I missed other attractions like The Kings’ balance,Elephant stables, Lotus temple,Hazara Rama Temple etc due to the ...

After visiting Pattadakal, I traveled to Hampi. Traveling from Pattadakal to Hampi was an unforgettable experience that left me mesmerized by the beauty of the region. Finally, after several hours of travel, I arrived in the historic town of Hampi. The distance between these two places is approximately 137 km, and there are several modes of transportation available to reach Hampi from Pattadakal. Another option is to take a bus from Pattadakal to Hospet, which is the nearest town to Hampi. There are several daily buses available, and the journey takes around 2 to 3 hours. From Hospet, you can take a local bus or hire a taxi to reach Hampi, which is just a few kilometers away. Let me tell you about Hampi! It’s a village in southern India that used to be the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, one of the biggest and most powerful empires in Indian history.! The rich heritage and unique culture contained within Hampi’s golden landscape have attracted tourists from all over the world for many years now. Whether you’re looking for an immersive cultural experience or just want to appreciate its scenic beauty, there is something for everyone to enjoy here. History of Hampi The Vijayanagara Empire ruled from the 14th to 16th century and Hampi was its glorious capital. The city was known for its grandeur, with massive temples, palaces, and public buildings that were some of the finest in the world at the time. Hampi’s Stone Chariot has become widely popular and recognized as the de...

Near the banks of the Tungabhadra river in southern India are an ancient group of monuments known as the Hampi. These grand ruins were once part of a much larger, sprawling metropolis known as Vijayanagar or the city of Victory, that occupied much of the southern peninsula. Vijayanagar was the capital of the historic Vijayanagara Empire, established in 1336 CE. Over the centuries, Vijaynagar served as the capital city of four dynasties. Stone Chariot, ca. 16th century, Hampi, India. Ancient Origins Under the Vijaynagara regime, the Hampi truly flourished and became one of the largest cities in the medieval era. Archeological studies have evidenced that the city predated the Vijaynagara regime. Brahmi inscriptions and terracotta seals dating to the 2nd and 3rd century BCE have been revealed during excavations. The Kings Balance, Hampi, India. Wikimedia Commons. Stone Construction Hampi is a popular tourist attraction owing to its breathtaking architecture, comprising of a number of temples, shrines, aquatic structures, pillared halls, and royal complexes. The structures are primarily carved into monolithic granite found in abundance in the region. It is believed that to cut the rock, a sequence of holes were drilled into the surface of the stone. Wooden pegs were then inserted into these holes and the pegs were doused with water. The moisture would cause the pegs to expand in size and the mounting pressure would cause the rock to split. Skilled stonemasons were employed to ...

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The "Stone Chariot", as it is often referred is the flagship tourist attraction of Hampi. This is not a chariot ,as the name suggests, rather a shrine built like a chariot. This is located inside the Vittala Temple campus. You would be visiting the Stone Chariot as part of your Vittala Temple tour. In mythology Lord Vittala is an aspect of Lord Vishnu (See Gods of Hampi and Mythology of Hampi). Garuda (lord of eagles) is the vehicle (mount) of Lord Vishnu. The Stone Chariot once contained the icon on Garuda, though the shrine is empty now. This shrine is in the axis of the massive Vittala Temple and faces the sanctum of Vittala Temple. It may appear to you (and sometimes even referred to) as a monolithic structure. In reality this stone shrine was built with many giant granite blocks. The joints are smartly hidden in the carvings and other decorative features that adorn the Stone Chariot. The chariot is built on a rectangular platform of a feet or so high. All around this base platform is carved with mythical battle scenes. Though the chariot is not resting on it, the four giant wheels attached mimic the real life ones complete with the axis shafts and even the brakes. A series of concentric floral motifs decorate the wheels. It appears from the marks on the platform, where the wheels rest, the wheels were free to move around the axis. You can still see the remains of the painting on the carvings of the chariot. Probably because it was relatively protected from the natural...

A small village on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra River, Hampi is in the Bellary District of Karnataka. A well-known centre of pilgrimage, it has been linked by some to the Epics. As the seat of the Vijayanagara empire, Hampi was famed for its wealth, and for the promotion of religion and culture.The Hampi ruins are spread over an area of about 26 square kilometers, within which several modern/living villages exist, while the outer lines of the imperial city's fortifications include a still larger area. Their picturesque surroundings amidst striking and beautiful scenery is nature at its wildest and best. In 1986, the Hampi ruins were accorded World Heritage Status. A well-known centre of pilgrimage, Hampi has even been linked by some to the Epics, as the Kishkindha-kshetra of the Ramayana. It has been traditionally known as the Pampa-kshetra, Kishkindha-kshetra or Bhaskara-kshetra. Pampa is the ancient term for the Tungabhadra River, and the current name, "Hampe" or "Hampi", is generally held to be its later Kannada form. The region's early history dates back to Neolithic/Xhalcolithic times - handmade pottery has been uncovered in recent excavations near the Vitthala Temple. The recent discovery of Minor Rock-edicts also indicate the region being within the Ashokan empire (3rd Century B.C.E.) The ancient Kishkindha of the Ramayana is believed to have been situated close to Hampi. Kishkindha was ruled by the monkey-chiefs, Vali and Sugriva. It is said that after a qu...

This article is about – the Vijaya Vittala Temple, Hampi– The iconic monument of Hampi. We would talk about all interesting and significant things about the temple in the article. Decision to walk towards the temple We arrive quickly from the Vijaya Vittala temple; the two places are in close vicinity. Autos are not allowed beyond this point. We see a long queue of people waiting for the battery operated cab plying between this point to the Vijaya Vittala temple complex. It is getting hot and I fear that Tanmay might put the condition of going to the temple only if cab is available. The fear is unfounded as both the kids decide to walk without a single argument. Nature-made landscape – A signature of Hampi Landscape Gejjala Mantapa At the beginning of the street is the Gejjala Mantapa– a small open pillared pavilion amidst banana plantation, having a brick and plaster parapet along with a shikhar over it. The pillars are of typical Vijayanagar style and carry the carvings of ‘ purna-kalasha‘. This structure marks the beginning of the Hampi Bazaar or the ‘car street’. This street is known as the car-street as during rathothsava the idol of deity is carried over a carriage ( ratha) on this street in a grandiose procession. Gejjala Mantapa is the ceremonial place to keep the idol during that time. Gejjala Mandapa amidst banana plantation, Vittala Temple, Hampi In the initial stretch, the path is sandy with occasional trees on the way, providing shade. The granite boulders str...

Lord Ram had travelled to a number of cities in India covering almost every region from the north to down south. Fifteen such destinations have been mapped under the Ramayana Circuit. These connected destinations forming the circuit span from Ayodhya to Nagpur. They cover Shringverpur, Chitrakoot of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, Sitamarhi, Buxar, Darbhabga, Nandigram, Mahendragiri, Jagdalpur, Bhadrachalam, Rameshwaram, The city bears a very close connection to Ramayana. It is associated with the birthplace of Hanuman. As per mythology, Anjaneya Hill is the place where Hanuman was born. The folklore talks about the monkey kingdom of Kishkinda found around Hampi. It is believed that Lord Ram and Lakshman reached Hampi to find Sita. The tales of plotting against Ravan and Hanuman flying across to Lanka are well known. The Tales of Hanuman and Rama The temples of Hampi, including the walls, archways and pillars, are adorned with mythical tales of Hanuman and Lord Ram. Hampi probably has more depictions of Hanuman than any other God or mythological character. No wonder the place was called the Monkey’s Kingdom. There is a noteworthy religious appeal and significant carvings of the stories of Ramayana all along. Another important location to note in this region is that of Matunga Hill. This significant hill being the highest point in Hampi offers the best views of the town. The northern side of this hill ends at the southern bank of the Tungabhadra River. This is where anoth...