Hampi comes under the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. You might be aware of this right? But do you know the history behind such historical places situated in Hampi? The facts behind the place situated in Hampi will amaze you. History lovers, especially, get ready to dive into the history of Hampi. Hampi Vijayanagara Empire is worth a visit. Hampi has many ancient temples. One of the amazing facts about Hampi is that this city has existed since the Mauryan Empire. Although a lot of changes have been made since then in Hampi.
Origin of Hampi
Do you know why Hampi is known by this name? The interesting story about this name is that the other name of the village was pampa Kshetra or Kishkindha Kshetra. This unique name was derived from a famous river called Tungabhadra. This famous Tungabhadra river was earlier famous with the name pampa. Hampi is the Kannada name of Hampe; it is an anglicized version.
Why Is Hampi Famous?
Let’s discuss the significance of Hampi. Why is it famous? Hampi is known for its beautiful ruins, majestic temples, amazing architectural structure, embellishment, and design of palaces. The ruins of Hampi have been a site for tourists since ancient times.
Significance of Hampi
Hampi is famous for many reasons. One of them is the instrument temples, monuments, and other sites that are located in Hampi. Also, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Last but not least Hampi was the capital city of Vijayanagar in around 1500 ad. At the time it was considered as the second-largest city in the world.
History of Hampi
This place is a religious-cultural spot. Hampi was an important part of the Mauryan Empire. Much evidence was found related to the rock available in the district Bellary. It was said that these rocks were a common form to record information during the time of the Ashoka dynasty. It came into existence in the city of Vijayanagar. At that time Hampi was the capital city, in the year 1336 ad.
According to the sources, in Ramayan, there are seven ‘Kandas’ (episodes). There is an individual episode named Kishkindha kand. Kishkindha has special relations with Hampi according to the sources. It was said that Kishkindha Kand happened when God Rama and Lakshman reached the kingdom of monkeys. That place is now famous as Hampi. In association with this, much geographical evidence is available.
Hampi Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire or Karnataka Rajya was developed in 1336 AD. Bukka Raya and Hari Hara from the Sangama dynasty created this Empire. By fighting Islamic invasions they came into power by the end of the 13th century. They achieved fame because of their way of governing. They had strong connections Abroad which helped in trading. They manage their empire very efficiently. This Empire helped Southern India to achieve new heights in arts as well as in technology. The architectural structure of the temples of Hampi speaks about their skills.
Is this place related to Lord Shiva?
According to well-known folklore, prior to his marriage with Pampa, Lord Shiva was on Hemakuta Hill and did his penance. Pampa was really devoted to Lord Shiva; this devotion impressed kamdev. That resulted in evoking sympathy in his mind. He is the god of love. So he decided to help pampa.
This incident disturbed Lord Shiva during his penance. The third eye of Lord Shiva opened because of this. As a result, Kama dev instantly got punished. He turned into ashes. Devirathi pleaded for Kama’s life. At her request, Lord Shiva blessed Kama dev again. But without karma’s body. Since then god Kama is known as a bodiless entity.
The Lion God: Narasimha
A story related to Lord Narsimha is also explained in Hampi. So this place is related to Lord Narasimha as well. A temple called Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is a famous Krishna temple. The pillars that are designed in this temple show Prahlad’s life. Prahlad was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Lord Narasimha, was the avatar of Lord Vishnu. Lord Narasimha fought and defeated king Hiranyakashyap. This whole story is well explained in this Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, through articulate carvings.
Bheema’s Gate in Hampi
During the time of Pandavas, Draupadi found a flower named sugandhika. This flower had a lovely fragrance that attracted Draupadi. She wanted more saugandhika flowers. So Bheem started to find the origin and source of these flowers. After solving many problems he found a pond that is full of saugandhika. Now Lord Hanuman changed his appearance and became an old man. He laid down along the pathway. Bheem asked the old man to leave his way. But he replied that I’m too old.
So you need to do it yourself. After moving his tail several times, Bheem realized that the old man was none other than Lord Hanuman. Then Bheem defeated two Demons who were guarding that pond full of flowers. Finally, Bheem brings saugandhika to Draupadi.
Final Note
The amazing tales related to Hampi Vijayanagara Empire don’t end here. There are a lot of mini-stories behind the beautiful temples and places located in Hampi. This is what makes Hampi different from other tourist spots. The history and mythology behind every place will amaze you. So what are you waiting for? Plan a trip to Hampi!
