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340
kms from Bangalore lies Hospet. Its tourist importance lies in its
proximity to Hampi, the site of the medieval Vijayanagar Empire, situated
about 13 kms away.
The Tungabhadra Dam here harnesses the sweet waters of the Tungabhadra
river. At the base of the dam is a garden styled along Japanese lines.
PRIME ATTRACTIONS
Chitradurga:
On the Highway linking Bangalore to Hospet, one comes across Chitradurga,
a quaint town with its famous Fort. This marvel of military architecture,
made impregnable by the Nayak Paleyagars has 19 gateways and 38 postern
Harihareshwara.
Hampi:
353 kms from Bangalore and 74 kms from Bellary is Hampi. A World Heritage
Centre, Hampi is the most beautiful and evocative of all the ruins in
Karnataka.
The erstwhile capital of the Vijayanagar Kingdom, Hampi is full of
delightful surprises. King's Balance is the balance where kings were
weighted against grain, gold or money, which was then distributed to the
poor.
Queen's Bath with its arched corridors, projecting balconies and
lotus-shaped fountains that once sprouted perfumed water, the two-storeyed
Lotus Mahal with recessed archways are architectural delights.
The huge Elephant Stables, the splendid Vithala Temple with its musical
pillars and the Stone Chariot, the Virupaksha Temple, still used for
worship, Ugra Narasimha, the 6.7 m tall monolith, the Pushkarini Tank, the
Mahanavami Dibba are all worth visiting. The once-powerful Vijayanagar
Empire was compared to Rome by the Portuguese traveller Paes.
HOW TO GET THERE
Rail: Hospet is connected to
Bangalore,
Bellary, Gadag, Bijapur and
Hubli-Dharwar.
Road: there is a well-developed road network.
WHERE TO STAY
Hospet also has a wide variety of Hotels.
Hotel Mayura (Kamalapur).