Kishkinda

Hemakuta Hill

Virupaksha Temple from Hemakuta Hill

Rock formations on Hemakuta Hill

Kalayana Mandapa in Vittala Temple

Washerwomen on the banks of the Tungabhadra

Detail of Elephant Hunt on the Mahanavami Dibba

Couple in the monsoons on the ghats along Tungabhadra

Shepherd with his flock at the Kings Balance

Puskarini in Courtesan's Bazaar

Monkeys march up the Matanga Parbat, Hanuman's abode.

Striking a pose in a mandapam in the Royal quarters.

Lakshmi's lunch

Reclining Vishnu carving on the Tungabhadra.

An ASI guard watches over tourists at the Vittala Temple.

The Temple Elephant gets a bath.

The old man.

Kirti mukha (Lion Faced) detailing on the Lotus Mahal.

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Description

Images from Hampi, the fabled land of Kishkinda, the Vanara (monkey) kingdom mentioned in the Ramayana. The name is derived from Pampa, which is the old name of the Tungabhadra River on whose banks the city is built. Hampi went on to become the capital of the mighty Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565, before it was finally laid waste by the Deccan Sultanate confederacy. The ruins are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the largest in India in terms of size.