This talk is a presentation of the study and research done on the monuments and heritage of Hampi over the past few weeks, which culminated in a three day experiential tour of Hampi participated by more than fifty people from diverse fields, nationalities and cultures.

The Vijayanagara architecture was a notable style that developed during the rule of the Hampi Vijayanagar Empire. The empire built temples, monuments, palaces and other structures across South India, with a largest concentration in its capital. The monuments in and around Hampi, in the Vijayanagara principality, are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In addition to building new temples, the empire added new structures and made modifications to hundreds of temples across South India. Some structures at Vijayanagara are from the pre-Vijayanagara period. The Mahakuta hill temples are from the Western Chalukya era. The region around Hampi had been a popular place of worship for centuries before the Vijayanagara period with earliest records dating from 689 CE when it was known as Pampa Tirtha after the local river God Pampa.

There are hundreds of monuments in the core area of the capital city. Of these, 56 are protected by UNESCO, 654 monuments are protected by the government of Karnataka and another 300 await protection.

Join us as we discuss the architectural elements and styles of the Hampi monuments.