Jain temples:
Lotus Mahal: a blend of Hindu and Islamic architecture
Hampi
is located 340 kms northwest of Bangalore and 13 kms from the railroad town of Hospet.
The largest ruins in India was the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire (1336-1565), which extended from the Arabian Sea to the Bay
of Bengal and from the Deccan plateau to the tip of the Indian peninsula. The
city of 26 sq. kms was sacked, pillaged, and burnt in 1565, when the combined armies of the Muslim sultanates
from the Deccan defeated the Vijayanagar
military. The outcropping of white granite provides
for a spectacular site. The Virupaksha temple with its 50-meter tower is
actively used. In the northwest corner of this ruined city lies the Vittala
Temple, famous for its musical columned hall, and the Chariot with
originally movable stone wheels.
Jain temples:
Lotus Mahal: a blend of Hindu and Islamic architecture
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 Elephant
stables are fine examples of the Indo-Islamic style of
architecture. The building has eleven large rooms with very high
ceilings. Large domes crown ten of these. |
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Hampi abounds in water channels and water tanks, a telling testimony to the engineering skill, which had been achieved. The most elaborate of the bathhouses is the Queen's bath situated in the citadel area, south of the Hazaara Rama temple. The building is a large square structure, 15m square and 1.8m deep and surrounded by delicately decorated arched corridors and projecting balconies. The carved stucco ornamentation on the ceilings and vaults above each of the arched bays is characteristic of Islamic architecture. Video of the bath. |