Vittala Temple Hampi
About Vittala Temple
The Vittala Temple or Vitthala Temple in Hampi is an ancient monument that is well-known for its exceptional architecture and unmatched craftsmanship. It is considered to be one of the largest and the most famous structure in Hampi. The temple is located in the north eastern part of Hampi, near the banks of the Tungabhadra River.
The temple was originally built in the 15th century AD. Many successive kings have enhanced the temple campus during their regimes to the present form. You can even see the remains of a township called Vittalapura that existed around this temple complex. The highlight of Vittala temple is its impressive pillared halls and the stone chariot. The halls are carved with an overwhelming array of sculptures on the giant granite pillars. The stone chariot located inside the campus is almost an iconic structure of Hampi.
Vittala Temple has two modes of approach. You can either take the road or a walk along the river bank from Hampi bazaar. Entry is ticketed with a small admission fee of Rs 10 for Indian citizens, and an additional fee of Rs. 25 is charged for use of video camera.
The outer ‘musical’ pillars reverberate when tapped. They were supposedly designed to replicate 81 different Indian instruments, but authorities have placed them out of tourists’ bounds for fear of further damage, As well as the main temple, whose sanctum was illuminated using a design of reflective waters, you’ll find the marriage hall and prayer hall, the structures to the left and right upon entry, respectively.
Every main pillar is surrounded by 7 minor pillars. These 7 pillars emit 7 different musical notes from the representative musical instruments. The notes emanating from these pillars vary in sound quality depending on whether the instrument is a percussion, string or wind instrument.
The Vittala temple is built in the Dravidian style of architecture. It has traits and features that are characteristic of typical south Indian temple architecture. It’s elaborate and artistic carvings and magnificent architecture is unmatched by any other structure found in Hampi.
It is believed that the main shrine of the temple originally had one enclosed Mantapa. An open Mantapa was added to it in the year 1554 A.D.
By Air
Hampi cannot be reached directly by flight as the ruined town has no airport of its own. Ballari (Bellary) is the closest town to have an airport. Ballary is situated at a distance of around 64 km from Hampi. Visitors can reach Ballari by taking a flight and then proceed to Hampi by means of local transport.
By Rail
Hampi does not have a railway station. The nearest railway station can be found in the city of Hosapete (Hospet). The Hospet Junction Railway Station is connected to several other towns and cities of Karnataka by means of regular trains. Hosapete is situated at a distance of around 10 km from Hampi.
One of the easiest ways to reach Hampi from Hosapete is to board a bus. There are a few other means of local transport also to reach Hampi from Hosapete.
By Road
Hampi has a good road network and is connected to many towns and cities in Karnataka by this network. There are a lot of government and private buses that travel between Hampi and several towns and cities in the state.
.....
- Tungabhadra Dam-15 km from Hampi.
- Angegundi fort- Tungabhadra, Angegundi, Hampi.
- Chandragiri Fort -15 km from Hamp.
- Gagan Mahal -15 km from Hampi.
- Badavilinga -15 km from Hampi.
The Vittala Temple is regarded as the most ornate of the Vijayanagara temples. The temple comprises of several attractions that makes it a must-visit structure for tourists. In fact it is the most visited monument in Hampi and as such, it is also the most photographed monument in Hampi.
The Ranga Mantapa is one of the main attractions of the Vittala Temple. The large mantapa is renowned for its 56 musical pillars. These musical pillars are also known as SAREGAMA pillars, indicating the musical notes emitted by them. The musical notes and emanated when the pillars are tapped gently.
