Vibrant Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara (Hampi) - the place where poet-king Krishnadeva Raya welcomed his guests, where the witty court jester, Tenali Raman entertained his king, the land of Bali and Sugriva, the monkey kings of Ramayana - is a World Heritage Site now.

The city of Vijayanagar was built around 1336 by two brothers, Princes Harihara and Bukka. The finest architects and artisans of the time gave shape to the new capital's public buildings.

Battle scenes, portraits of kings, nobles and depictions of contemporary life including court dance performance and hunting expeditions have been frozen in these buildings for eternity. The Lotus Mahal and the Elephant Stables, notable for the stucco ornamentation of their windows and doorways reflect the Islamic influence in architecture. Vijayanagar's temples, palaces, aqueducts and seven rows of fortified walls spread out it an area of 26 kilometers. Though the city was abandoned in 1565, it still remains remarkably intact.