About Bellary Tourist Places Or Places to visit in Bellary in Karnataka India

Hampi is about 12km from Hospet.  It is world famous ruins of vijayanagar kingdom considered as World Heritage Centre. It is the most beautiful and captivating ruins in Karnataka, fittingly called as the Pompeii of India.  Founded in 1336under the inspiring guidance of Vidyaranya, the Viojayanagar Empire reached its zenith of glory and prosperity until it fell in 1565 at the battle of Talikote.  Covering an area of 10 square miles, it arouses unusual interest and curiosity in the visitors.  Hampi is full of surprises.  Lotus Mahal is a delightful two storeyed structure, a synthesis of both Hindu and Islamic culture.  Elephant Stables is a row of even chambers which were once used for housing the state elephant.

Two structures sheltering monolith boulders carved with Ganesha images are very popular among the visitors.   One of them is enclosed in a temple while the other stands within an open hall.  A little distance away is the celebrated Narasimha sculpture carved out of a single boulder.  Nearby is a chamber with a monolith Linga.  The Krishna temple, now in ruins, was once a cluster of shrines patronized by the famous Krishnadeva Raya.  Matanga Hill is the most commanding natural feature within the capital.  Beneath the hill is the Kodandarama Temple commemorating the spot wher Rama crowned Sugriva after killing Vali.  The Vittala temple complex, even in its ruins represents the highest achievement of Vijayanagar art.  To the east of the hall is the attractive stone chariot fashioned like a miniature shrine with wheels.  Other important temples are the Raghunatha temple and Hazara Rama temple.  Nearby is an enclosure usually called as Zenana, but which may have been used by the king himself.

Hampi City

Situated at an altitude of 467m above sea level, founded by Harihara I also known as Hukka, and Bukka the Telugu princes.  Hampi was the capital of the historically largest Hindu empire- ‘The Vijayanagara Empire’.  ‘Vijayanagara’ literally means ‘The City of Victory’.  The reign of the famous ruler Krishnadevaraya in the early 16th century is noted as the golden era.  During this period the empire extended from the south of the mighty rivers Krishna and Tungabadra to the Bay of Bengal in the east and the Arabian Sea in the west.  There was marked growth in the fields of literature, arts, architecture and also military warfare.  However, this glorious empire was ravaged by the combined army of five rulers of Bidar, Bijapur, Golconda, Ahmednagar and Berar in the later middle part of the same century.  Priceless monuments of the hard built city were crushed and the entire kingdom was thrown to ruins.  But certain vestiges of the wonderful historic monuments, which have stood the foray, do exist even today.  And now, the city stands as a reliquary of the prestigious remnants of the great Vijayanagara empire.

About Bellary Temples

Pattabhirama Temple

Pattabhirama Temple is About 57km from Bellary District. This temple on the south of the sacred river Tungabadra, located in scenic hilly surroundings is the largest among the ruins.  It was built between 1530 and 1542.  This wonderful temple is noted for its largeness.  There is a capacious hall in front of the temple.

Dussehra Dibba (or) Vijaya Bhavani

This architecturally wonderful temple was raised by the distinguished ruler of Vijayanagara, Krishnadevaraya, as an act of thanks-giving to the ultimate Supreme Being, after his conquest of Orissa.  The temple structure is decorated with exquisite carvings.  There is also an embellished dais on which festivals like the Dussehra were celebrated.  The remarkable reliefs depict gutfully marching soldiers, beautiful damsels in various dancing postures, horses and elephants.  From the top section of the temple, the ruins of the once-magnificent palace can be seen.

Virupaksha Temple

Also known as the ‘Temple of Pasupati’ the construction of this temple is shrouded in uncertainty.  According to a belief it was built in 1509 to commemorate the coronation of Krishnadevaraya.  Contradictory to this, another belief says it was built by Krishnadevaraya to commemorate his triumph over the Bijapur and Gajapathy rulers.  The huge holy image of Lord Siva in the Sanctum Sanctorum is a sacred monolithic structure.  The lord is worshipped as Lord Virupaksha here and hene the name of the temple.  The temple also has beautifully sculptured images of various other deities.  The huge Mandapa or ‘Hall’ consists of marvellous monolithic pillars with intricate and ethereal artwork.  The temple tower called the Bhistappayyana Gopura became the model for all the South Indian Vijayanagara Temple Towers.  These are also known as Rajagopuras. The temple of Pampapathi popularly called Virupaksha, dedicated to Shiva, who was the dynastic deity of the kings of Vijayanagar, is located almost in the midst of the Hampi ruins and is probably the only monument, which has not been destroyed during the siege of the place by the Muslims.  It has a pyramidal tower, which is said to be the largest of its kind.  The staircase inside to reach the top is built into the stonework.  A part of the temple is older than the Vijayanagar kingdom itself.

Vittala Temple

Situated on the banks of the holy river Tungabadra this temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is one of the extant holy monument of the Vijayanagar Empire, though the temple tower is dilapidated.  This architecturally rich temple was built by Krishnadevaraya in the early part of the 16th century.  The temple stands on a rectangular courtyard of 152m * 94m.  There are as many as 56 sturdy pillars replete with fine artwork.  Another spellbinding feature is the huge temple chariot made out of stone.  The exquisite ‘Musical Pillars’ which emit musical notes when tapped offer melodious enchantment.  A noteworthy point is that the temple has rightfully is that the temple has rightfully entered the list of ‘World Heritage monuments’.

About 2km from here, is an enormous holy statue of Lord Ganesa, on the river bank.

Patal Lingeswar

This temple was unearthed during one of the excavations carried out by the British.  It is              believed that Lord Siva was the presiding deity of the temple which now has no deity.  Facing the temple are the scattered remains of a ruined royal guest house.  There is another temple in the proximity, dedicated to Lord Siva.

Hazara Ramaswamy Temple

The presiding deity of this temple, Lord Rama was worshipped by the generations of the royal family.  The ancient temple is adorned with wonderful carvings which recount ht great epics ad the pillars depict various incarnations of Lord Vishnu.  Besides, the orate friezes include images of sacred animals.

Lotus Mahal

This grand edifice which is now an archaeological museum was the resting place of the kings in the past.  This museum houses a good number of artefacts which have been unearthed from the excavations which started in 1976 and going on even today.  Among the excavated articles, ancient Chinese coins can also be seen.  The KSTDC runs a restaurant at the entrance.  There is also another archaeological museum at Kamalapuram.

Kishkindha

The epic-fame Kishkidha seems to turn the time-scale back to the Puranic era.  It is said that the region on the sumptuous banks of the holy river Tungabhadra was the place called Kishkindha mentioned in the great epic ‘The Ramayana’.  Kishkindha was the realm of the Anthropoid King Vali in the great epic.  The Purana (the epic) asserts that Lord Rama killed the erring and heedless king Vali to do justice to his (vali’s) brother Sughriva, who sought the help of the Lord through Lord Anjaneya.  The awesome hills Hrishyamuk, Malyabanta and Matanga found here are referred to in ‘The Ramayana’.  There is also a mound where the king Vali is said to have been laid to rest.  And obviously there is a temple dedicated to ‘Lord Rama’, the divine Hero of ‘The Ramayana’ and an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Twin Temple

This twin Temple portrays exquisite artwork of the Chalukyas on the exterior walls.  There are 59 polished and gleaming pillars.  The ‘Sikharas’ are of a unique style.  Another important monument here is the temple complex known as Kalleswara mentioned in an inscription of 1013 AD.  The Archaeological Survey of India has set up a sculpture shed near here.

Tungabhadra Dam

Situated about 7km from Hospet and 20 km from hampi, the beautiful dam which rises to a height of 49m and runs to a length of 500m across the ravishing river Tungabhadra, with its conscientiously laid Japanese style gardens and a captivating horticultural farm makes an enchanting picnic spot.  Here, the alluring blossoms refulgent with a spectrum of hues beckon to the curious visitors.  Besides, a tower, a net factory and a steel project can also be seen.
The serene reservoir created by the dam spreads over 387 sq km .  The benevolent waters of the river not only irrigate over 2 million acres of arable land but also help generate electricity through the hydro-electric power project here.  This site can also be visited on a special permission. Very close to Hospet, a huge reservoir across the river Tungabhadra has been constructed to provide water for irrigation as well as for generation of power.  It is one of the largest reservoir schemes in India.  A beautiful garden has been developed below the dam on the lines of Brindavan garden at Mysore. The most attractive feature of the place for visitors is the location of two big guesthouses on the hill tops on either side of the dam.  Vaikunta and Kailas, as they are called, they command a most magnificent view of the whole area, and a spectacular panorama particularly at night.

Ramghad

Ramghad is about 16km from Sandur.  Situated about 1100m above sea level and commanding a mild and genial climate, it is a popular health resort and picnic centre.  As far back as 1847, the East India Company constructed a Health Sanatorium her for their use.

Sandur

Sandur is about 65km from Bellary.  Formerly a small Zamindari, it has the ancient temple of Kumaraswamy or Kartikeya as he is popularly called on a nearby hillock called Lohachala or the Iron Hill. Situated within wooded slopes, a motorable road leads to the very precincts of the temple.  The former Raja of Sandur is the hereditary trustee of the temple.  All round are a number f open-cast iron and manganese mines.

How to reach Bellary

Bellary and Hospet are connected by rail and road with Bangalore and Andhra Pradesh.  many buses ply in the region frequently.  Very good accommodation is available in all the places. Taxis, tongas and autorickshaws are available for local travel.