It gives me a great pleasure to present the second edition of the book named Hampi - the splendour that was. The first edition of the book was loved by the public. Demand for the same for the second edition necessitated the printing of this book.
The Splendid beauty of Hampi attracts researchers and scholars from all around the world. The department of Archaeology museum and heritage is working to make hampi a comfortable place for the visiting tourists. By conducting archaeological excavations and explorations the department is also promoting researches. The books based on the same are being published.
The appreciable work of Dr. M.S. Krishna Murthy and Dr. R. Gopal is very informative and research oriented. This book celebrates the glory of architectural and sculptural heritage. The high quality photographs by Sri Melukote N. Muralidhar (ancient monument photographer) helps in conveying the message of the book to the readers.
These photographs enlighten us the culture, art and architecture of the Monuments of Hampi.
Through these lines I would like to appreciate the work of these gifted authors and the Photographer who have brought this book to life by their words and beautiful photographs.
Hampi, an ancient celebrated city of south India, was finally the capital seat of the powerful Vijayanagara Empire. This city witnessed the acme of its fame during the Vijayanagara rule from the middle of the XIV century to the middle of XVI century CE. However, the antiquity of this town goes back to the times of Ramayana. Hampi and its surrounds were ideal locales for man to settle there. Tangible proofs of settlement of Neolithic man are found there. Local legends ascribe Hampi to be the place where goddess Pampa, a form of Parvati, settled and lived. Hence, the place got the name Pampa-kshetra. The present name of the place, i.e. Hampi is a derivative of the name Pampa.
Hampi is known to be a pilgrim centre since the beginning of the present era. The Satavahanas, the Badami Chalukyas, the Rashtrakutas, the Kalyana Chalukyas ruled over this place before this town came to limelight as the capital seat of the Vijayanagara Empire. During the Vijayanagara rule, Hampi and its surrounds were developed to such an extent that the splendour and magnificence of this city are extolled by the contemporary foreign travellers as 'one of the best provided cities of the contemporary world'. Unfortunately, this flourishing city fell into the hands of the barbaric enemy forces and became a victim of human vandalism of a type never witnessed before in the history of India.
The capital city of Hampi, during its hey-day, had an area of about five square kilometres. It also had many suburban settlements around it. The main city, it is said, had seven rounds of fortification, traces of which are still found at many places there. Watch towers at a number of high-raised places and other strategic points were erected. The nucleus of the capital seat was the so called 'Royal enclosure', a new township, planned and built during the Vijayanagara rule. This area, used exclusively by the royalty, consisted of huge masonry terraces supporting spacious pillared halls, which were poly-functional in nature. Administrative buildings, barracks for the palace guards, large ceremonial stepped tank preceding a Hindu temple, spacious public and private assembly halls, dancing hall, underground treasury, huge swimming pool surrounded by stepped gallery used for water sports, and many more curious edifices were all accommodated in this enclosure.
Adjacent to the royal enclosure, separated by a long narrow lane, was the walled enclosure where the royalty lived. Ruins of the residential palaces identified as those of the ruling monarchs are found in this enclosure. All these buildings bear signs of ruthless pillage followed by arson and blatant mutilation.
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