HIDDEN TREASURE

Ancient IndiaWorld Heritage site, Hampi is a 700 year-old city founded by Harihara Raya

and Bukka Raya in the year 1336 under the guidance of a saint from

Sringeri mutt called Viduaranya. Built on the banks of the river

Tungabhadra, it was the capital city of the Vijayanagar Empire and a major trading center. It was not just the largest Hindu empire of its time, but also one of the largest trading centers of the world. The markets in Hampi were always crowded with merchants who bartered their goods in exchange for spices and cotton. Rubies, diamonds and other precious stones were sold on the streets and gold and silver were the currencies.

The city, with a population of over half a

million, flourished not just with traders but also poets and devotees. Temples were built in the hundreds, which stand today as evidence of the religious inclination of Hampi. Public ceremonies and festivals were celebrated regularly and it is here that Lord Rama met Hanumantha and killed Vali in exchange for help from Sugreeva.

As the saying goes, everything that goes up must come down. And so after the golden reign of King Krishna Deva Raya (AD 1509-1529), Hampi fell to the attacks of the five Sultans of Deccan – Bider, Bijapur, Golconda, Ahmednagar and Berar in the year 1565. The city was looted, many temples destroyed and the markets plundered. The Golden Empire had come to an end.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Hampi, Karnataka