History and Myths of Hampi
T
hese pages are about various facets of Hampi, like its history, religions, mythology, architecture, coinage……A brief understanding of these aspects of Hampi goes a long way to help you make sense of what you are actually going to see and experience once you reach Hampi.
India is the birthplace of many religions. Hinduism was born in India. So were Buddhism and Jainism. Islam was one of the most important religions of Hampi even during the empire’s peak. Hampi carries the marks of this ancient multi faith society. This is one of the places to see the religious aspects, especially of Hinduism, in a close proximity. More…
Hampi’s history is a rather compelling story of how a tiny hamlet had grown into the sprawling medieval metropolis, the capital of the grand empire, Vijayanagara. Also it tells how they ruled the whole of south India from its eastern seashores to the west. And finally, at its imperial climax fallen from the crest, and crept back to where it all began – a cluster of humble villages. More...
Hampi has a mythical aura surrounding its environments. You would notice something spooky the moment you set foot on Hampi. In any case this is believed to be the mythical monkey kingdom, Kishkinda. It is believed that many of the evens mentioned in various Hindu sacred texts of the Hindus had happened in and around Hampi. The Hindu mythology together with a plethora of local folklores makes the script of Hampi interesting. More....
Ramayana , literally means the story of Rama , is one of the sacred texts of the Hindus. According to various estimates, the epic poem was first composed during 500 BCE and 100 BCE. Ramayana is told in 7 cantos (kandas) and tells to story of Rama, Sita and the demon king Ravana of Lanka who abducted Sita to Lanka. The central theme and moral of Ramaya is the victory of good over the evil. The main character, Rama is attributed as one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Interesting in this incarnation, Rama is portrayed with humanly values and weakness rather than the godlike supernatural powers.Ramayana of Hampi....
Lord Virupaksha may be presiding deity of Hampi, but the monkey warrior Hanuman steals the limelight. Hampi presents a typical cross-section of the religious moorings of India. Hindu icons with its pantheon of gods dominate this vast site.
In general the Hindu icons and temples you would find in Hampi broadly fall in two categories. The first groups are of the Siva lineage. Gods of Hampi....
Hampi’s architecture is as stunning as the ambient in which it is built. Richly sculptured granite structures dominate the ruins site. Hampi presents a fusion of various types of architectures. For example, the civilian structures made in the Indo-Saranac are pleasant blend of Hindu and Islamic styles of architecture. The large Hindu temples were made in the typical Vijayanagara style with giant carved monolithic pillars. Vijayanagara architecture...
Vijavanagara Empire had a sophisticated coinage. It is believed that one of the many mints of the empire was in Hampi, where its capital also was located. Typically one side of the Vijavanagara coins spot images of gods, birds, animals etc and inscriptions of who ordered to mint those coins on the reverse side. An example is the image attached next to this text. This gold coin spots the crawling (Lord) Krishna. Vijayanagara coinage....