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From the mid-14th century to 1565, Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, a powerful military state and an influential Hindu kingdom that ruled much of the southern half of the Indian subcontinent at its peak between the 14th and 16th centuries. (...)

From the mid-14th century to 1565, Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, a powerful military state and an influential Hindu kingdom that ruled much of the southern half of the Indian subcontinent at its peak between the 14th and 16th centuries. Vijayanagara, on the Deccan Plateau along the Tungabhadra River, was also known as the “City of Victory.” Medieval traveler Abdur Razzak remarked that the city “is such that the pupil of the eye has never seen such a place like it, and the year of intelligence has never been informed that there existed anything to equal it in the world.” Remnants of monuments, public bazaars, and the palace are marvelous souvenirs left over from the great medieval Hindu city. Three Hindu dynasties ruled Vijayanagara through two centuries of Muslim-ruled India. The Krishna Temple, built in 1531 by King Krishnadevaraya of the Tuluva dynasty, contains lofty gopurams (grand entry portals) that lead to shrines and structures for the worship of the idol Balakrishna. Two concentric walls enclose the structure with granite colonnades, and stone carving, stucco detailing, and towering shikhars (ciphers) define the monument.