Domed Gateway, Hampi

During my previous trip to Hampi i.e. in 2017 we discovered Bhimans Hebbagilu which is a major gateway of Hampi on its southeastern side. Later I learnt about other gateways such as the domed gateway, Talarighatta Hebbagilu, Huvina Bagilu, and Sringarada Hebbagilu. Of these I had passed through Talarighatta gateway several times while going to Vijaya Vittala Devastana. There are minor gateways and probably major ones to be discovered.

December 9, 2024
This tour was with Sridhar, my friend from Bhogasandra. It was his first visit here. We drove from Dharwad and our tour started with Agasi the western gateway and Vatika Kuparama the octagonal stepped well. Then we went to the grand temple Pattabhirama Devastana on the outskirts of Kamalapur. Then we moved on to Lokapavani the stepped tank. Five minutes walk from the tank is the domed gateway.

By the looks of the arch and dome, it is Indo Saracenic architecture.  It's an impressive structure. The white & ochre Naama markings on the walls indicate the presence of an active temple inside.

This structure reminds me of gateways are Bidar and Hyderabad.

A board planted nearby describes it as follows:

The Domed Gateway is located in the northeast near the Pattabhirarna Temple. It is around 18 metres high. designed in Indo-Islamic style of architecture. This is one of the main entrances to the city of Vijayanagara. This gateway provided access to the city of Vijayanagara from the east and the north. The square entrance has four massive arches. The semi-circular arches span from the center of the dome to the edge of its apex. The arches are decorated with lime mortar ornamentation. The arch has a square band on the upper portion. Above the square band is a semi-circular section, above which is a half-spherical dome. The Domed Gateway has spaces for guard houses adjoining it on either side of its entrance from the east. The walls of the Domed Gateway are massive and have bas-relief decorations of a fish, a snake and an elephant.

An Anjaneya Temple was constructed within this structure. It has a six-foot tall bas-relief sculpture of Anjaneya in the garbhagriha. During the Vijayanagara period, if one were traveling into the city from the east, they would first pass through the Penukonda Gateway, then through the Domed Gateway, and finally through Bhima's gateway.

Penukonda gateway is about 2.6 km by road. If a bird flew between the two gateways it would be just 500 meters.

Yes, there's an active Hanuman temple inside. Most gateways built by Hindu rulers will have a temple dedicated to Hanuman. And like most large gateways, this too has a bent path. This design slows down movement incase of any attempt to barge through the passage.

Sridhar's already inside the temple admiring the six feet tall image of Hanuman.

It's a simple semi open temple. The four pillars are clearly Vijayanagara design. It's quite possible that the deity might have been consecrated by Vyasaraja, the Madhwa philosopher who had great influence in Krishnadevaraya's court.

The passage widens into a spacious yard. On the eastern wall is a shrine dedicated to Shivalinga. The platform here indicates that a temple or a pillared hall was planned here. For some reason the shelter construction never happened. Close to the southern wall is a Yagna Kunda, a sacred pit where offerings were made to fire god Agni. There's one such pit at Bhima's gateway too.

Going towards the gateway's other end which lead into the fortified city of Hampi. Presently it's a dead end because of a reservoir embankment's presence.

The platforms flanking the passage would've been used as a toll office. Probably people transporting  goods for trade had to pay taxes here.

On the walls are several interesting images such as elephants, fishes, tortoises and reptiles. Such images can be found on most temple walls of Vijayanagara period.

Done with the tour of the domed gateway, we head out and stop for one last shot.

From here we head out in search of another ancient temple and find it amidst sugarcane fields. Unfortunately the temple gates were locked shut. We did check if there was any other way of entering but no such luck. Then we went in search of another temple called Kallara Gudi which translated to thieves temple. This is a present day name for it, probably thieves used this place as a hideout since it's located away from settlements. I feel this temple situated off Kamalapur-Daroji road is Kallara Gudi.

The side road in front of the temple goes into farm lands. I spoke to a couple of guys at the temple, they did not even know what this temple was called. 

About 800 meters from here is Penukonda gateway and I was unaware of it. To our bad luck no other local person was present around here. So close and we missed an important monument. Well, that would be for the next Hampi trip.

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Sringarada Hebbagilu, Hampi

The sprawling city Hampae was a fortified habitation. One can see strong fort walls around the ruins, and also within to keep royal premises secure. With so many walls present there will be gateways so that movement is not restricted completely. As I know there are at least six gateways namely the Domed gateway, Bhimana Hebbagilu, Talarighatta Hebbagilu, Huvina Bagilu, Penukonda Hebbagilu, and of course Sringarada Hebbagilu. There could be many more gateways on the outer walls yet to be discovered.

I'd seen Bhimana Hebbagilu during the Aug 2017 trip with Pushpa. And later I discovered the domed gateway which is close to Bhima's gateway, and Sringarada Hebbagilu which is close to the elephant stables.

December 9, 2024. Our tour of Hampi started around 9-30 am. We covered the monuments beyond Kamalapaur town until lunch time, then checked into KSTDC lodge at Kamalapur and then resumed the tour around 3-30 pm. First we saw Zenana enclosure followed by elephant stables. Generally tourists do no bother to explore beyond the stables, even I'd done in my previous five trips here. This time I was determined to check out the ruins beyond the stables. The security person tried to dissuade us by telling there are bears and leopards in the jungle. I ignored his remark and pulled Sridhar along. We took the foot path going into deserted.. first we saw two ruined temples, one Vaishnava and the other Jaina. Then we continued with the path which went to Sringarada Hebbagilu which translates to decorated gateway.

After a seven or eight minute trek, we arrive at the ruins of Sringarada Hebbagilu. Looks like this complex of walls and platforms took a lot of battering from the invading armies after the final battle when Hampi fell. At the other gateways arches have survived but here the damage is much greater.

A tourism board planted at the entrance descibes the monument as follows:

This main gateway is at the end of Pansupari Bazaar This is also called Singhara Hebbagilu. This gateway led to the suburbs from the core of the citadel. There are inscriptions mentioning this gate on a hill to the north of this gate. The massive gate has strong walls on either side creating a wider court in its centre. On the southeast of this space there is a Vaishnava Temple. On both sides of the entrance there are carvings of Vaishnava Dwarapalakas. The four pillars in the Sabhamandapa have bas-relief sculptures such as those of Yali and Anjaneya. On the western wall of the fort there are bas-relief sculptures of Ganesha, a lady grooming herself, Nandi, an elephant, and other warriors. There are also bas-relief sculptures of Dwarapalakas on either side of the door frame. The many decorative and beautiful carvings on the gate give it its name Srungarada (decorative) Hebbagilu (main gateway). On the hill to the north of the Srungarada Hebbagilu, south-facing Vishnu Dashavatara bas-relief sculptures are found in mandapas. This mandapa is called as Dashavatara Mandapa. one of the detutient sculplture of a Dwarapala of lorge size at present is placed at the archaeological museum Kamalapur. known for its at fine in Persian style.

The gateway complex is about 65 meters long and within it are three temples, simple looking but elegant and inactive since none of them have deities. The smaller one is the within the passage. I'm not sure if this structure has been restored by ASI in the recent times since it looks so neat.

The steps ascending into the temple has only one balustrade left, the other one is missing.

There's also a much smaller temple sitting in the space between the larger temple and the fortified wall.

The walls are about 18 feet high, at places shorter since blocks have gone missing. At some point between Hampi's fall and early XX Century, looks like people carted away blocks from the ruins to be used elsewhere.

At the end of the gateway is the fence of a private mango orchard. We couldn't venture any further. Looking back at the way we came.

While standing near the fence I noticed this granite slab arrangement which looks like prehistoric cist burial chamber. I'm not sure if it's one... can't tell unless I get to see it closer.

On the way back, I noticed images of Ganesha and people worshipping.

On the opposite side was an image of two musicians. Though the images are damaged, one can make out that both are bearded, the one of the right is playing a drum. While I was checking out the images Sridhar was getting little impatient. The security guard's remark about wild animals had got on, and he wanted to get out of this place. I told him a quick way to scare any wild beasts but I can't give the details here.

The other larger temple. This one had a Shikhara. I'm sure this was one fine structure back then.

Sridhar was relieved that we are finally leaving but I happened to noticed a narrower path going towards the rocky hillock to our right hand side. Also there was a board with a title Dasavatara Mandapa. I couldn't see any mantapa at ground level but there were couple of mantapa on the slopes of the hillock. To reach them it might've taken at least ten minutes which meant another 30 minutes to get back to safe place. Dropped the idea, I'll climb that hillock some other day and spend a couple of hours to check out several monuments up there. Sridhar was relieved, again. We headed back to the stables and then to the vehicle parking lot near the museum. We called it a day and headed back to our lodge.

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Talarigatta Hebbagilu

The ancient capital of Vijayanagara empire Hampae was a fortified city. The wealthy city had several tiers of fortification. Naturally a fortified city would have a number of gateways within and on the perimeter. There are at least six gateways namely the Domed gateway, Bhimana Hebbagilu, Talarighatta Hebbagilu, Talwarghatta gateway, Sringarada Hebbagilu, Huvina Bagilu and Penukonda Hebbagilu. Also, there's Kadae Bagilu (the last gateway) situated across Tungabhadra, close to Anegundi entrance. There could be many more gateways on the outer walls yet to be discovered.

These gateways not only regulated traffic inflow into the city but also worked as toll gates. They were tax collection points for incoming and outgoing merchandise. Each of the gateways are unique in their physical forms and their names have been derived out of their forms or location or information from inscriptions.

The very first gateway I'd seen was Talarigatta Hebbagilu. In fact I've passed through it several times while going to Vittala temple complex. It is named so because it is situated on the road to Talarigatta the river crossing from the right bank to the left bank. At the river crossing itself is another gateway named Talwarghatta gateway on the opposite bank. The two names Talarighatta and Talwarghatta sound close enough. Probably the former is a corrupt form of the latter.

A board planted at the site describes the monument as follows:

ತಾಳಾರಿಘಟ್ಟ ಬಾಗಿಲು
ಶಾಸನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅರೆಶಂಖರಬಾವಿ ಬಾಗಿಲು ಎಂದು ಉಲ್ಲೇಖಿತಗೊಂಡಿರುವ ಈ ದ್ವಾರವು ವಿಜಯನಗರ ಪಟ್ಟಣದ ಈಶಾನ್ಯಕ್ಕಿದ್ದು ತುಂಗಭದ್ರಾ ನದಿಯ ತೀರದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ತಾಳಾರಿಘಟ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗುವ ಮುಖ್ಯದ್ವಾರವಾಗಿದೆ. ಕಿರಿದಾದ ಈ ದ್ವಾರವು ಇಕ್ಕೆಲಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜಧಾನಿಯನ್ನು ಸುತ್ತುವರೆದಿರುವ ಕೋಟೆಗೋಡೆಯನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿದೆ. ಈ ದ್ವಾರವು ಎರಡು ಅಂತಸ್ತುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣಗೊಂಡಿದ್ದು ಮೇಲಿನ ಅಂತಸ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾವಲುಗಾರರಿಗೆ ಒಂದು ಸಣ್ಣ ಮಂಟಪವನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿದೆ. ಈ ಮಂಟಪವನ್ನು ಗಾರೆಯಿಂದ ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿದ ಕಮಾನುಗಳಿಂದ ಅಲಂಕರಿಸಲಾಗಿವೆ. ದ್ವಾರದ ಉತ್ತರ ಮತ್ತು ದಕ್ಷಿಣಕ್ಕೆ ಮಂದಿರಗಳಿದ್ದು ಉತ್ತರಕ್ಕೆ ವೀರಾಂಜನೇಯ ಮೂರ್ತಿಯಿದೆ.

Talarigatta Gate
Known as 'Aresankara Devara Bagilu' as per inscription, this gateway is strategically located to the north, north-east of Vijayanagara city leading to the river from known as 'Talarigatta' (toll collection point). The gate way, which is narrow, is built in to the fortification wall which enclosed the capital city. This is two storied structure with a provision for guard pavilion in the first storey, the latter having beautifully cut-pilaster decoration. On the southern and northern side of this gateway are shrine and there is a sculpture of Veeranjaneya on the northern side.

Tourists must make time to see these gateways closely since they are important landmarks. Who knows how many skirmishes had occurred at these sites. Who knows how many soldiers were martyred protecting Hampae? Who knows how many betrayals were prevented at these sites.

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Huvina Bagilu, Hampi

The largest city of it's time Hampi was fortified with several entrances. In the present day the major gateways have survived however they are in ruins. There are at least six such gateways- 1. Sringarada Hebbagilu, 2. Bhimana Hebbagilu, 3. Huvina Bagilu, 4. Talarighatta Hebbagilu, 5. Penukonda Hebbagilu, and 6. the domed gateway. There could be many more gateways on the outer walls like the Kadae Bagilu which is close to Anegundi village. And there could be more to be discovered.

Huvina Bagilu is about 200 meters from Bhojana Shala, on the left hand side while going towards Virupaksha Devastana.

The gateway seems to be a work-in-progress project when Vijayanagara fell.

The vertical block on the right hand side has a series of pits along the edge. I think a few inches was to be trimmed off the side face but it never happened. If you see the similar block on the opposite side, it's face is even. The former also should've been finished like that.

Those are the inner side of the gateway, I think. Right under the arch of the gateway is a shrine dedicated to Hanuman. Besides it is a small doorway to a chamber. Probably that was the guard's chamber. A makeshift fence barricaded the way further which goes into a private farm land.

Like I mentioned earlier, the column was meant to be sculpted with decorative murals. The work  had ceases abruptly.. probably when Hampi fell to the invading armies.

On the platforms flanking the passage, mantapa were supposed to be erected. Had this gateway been complete, it would've been a grand structure and called Hebbagilu instead of Bagilu.

Nothing more to see here, we move on towards the underground Shiva temple.

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what to see in Hampae

Once a capital city of one of the celebrated kingdoms in South India, Hampae was said to be the second largest city in the world when Vijayanagara kingdom was at its zenith. Hamape existed much before Vijayanagara, its history goes back to Hindu legends and prehistoric times. Situated in a hilly and rocky terrain with a river flowing in the valleys, this place was inhabited during Stone-Age. Rock paintings have been discovered in the caves and natural shelters on both sides of the river. Hampae was a pilgrim center known as Pampakshetra derived from Pampa, another name of the goddess Parvati. The name Pampasketra is mentioned in the Hindu legend Ramayana. As per the legend, Rama and Lakshmana meet Hanuman and Sugreeva at Pampaskhetra during their search for Sita. The river flowing close to the shrine was called Papmpa.

Hampae was once part of the Maurya kingdom, the claim which is based on the evidence of Ashokan edicts (around 200 BC) found in the vicinity. Also the ancient Virupaksha Devastana here has connections to Adi Shankaracharya the VIII Century philosopher. The name Pampapura is mentioned in Badami Chalukyan inscriptions dated between VI and VIII Centry CE. Then comes the  Hoysala who built temples for Durga, Hampadevi and Shiva according to an inscription of 1199 CE. Hampae was called as Virupakshapattana, Vijaya Virupakshapura in honour of Virupaksha Devastana. Hoysala reign ended early XIV Century after its defeat by the armies of Alauddin Khalji. Hampae also had connections with Jaina Dharma. In the XIV Century CE two Jain shrines Hemkut-Chakrakut existed.

In 1336 CE, Hakka and Bukka under the guidance of Vidyaranya (head of Sringeri Sharada Pihta) founded Vijayanagara kingdom from Kampili. The kingdom ruled by one successful king after another grew into an empire. The magnificent structures of Vijayanagara were built by some of the best artisans of that time. The city boasted a canal system which was fed by Tungabhadra (Pampa) river. The empire's most renowned king is Krishnadevraya during whose time (1509 - 1529 CE) the five neighboring Muslim kingdoms were kept under check. In 1565 CE, during the rule of Aliya Rama Raya, the five kingdoms launched an united attack Vijayanagara. The battle of Talikota dealt the final blow, Vijayanagara army was routed. The defeated armies couldn't do much to stop the Muslim armies who plundered the kingdom, particularly Hampi which was reduced to ruins and eventually deserted. Few decades later, an Italian merchant named Cesare Federici visited the ruins and described it as "the citie of Bezeneger is not altogether destroyed, yet the houses stand still, but emptie, and there is dwelling in them nothing, as is reported, but Tygres and other wild beasts." The glorious Hampae had become Haal-Hampae (haal means ruined in Kannada). Haal-Hampae was forgotten for the next three centuries!

In 1865, British explorer Alexander Greenlaw visited Haal-Hampae and photographed structures that were standing. The collection of photographs were kept private and finally made public only in 1980. It looks like Hampae became Hampi on European tongues. Probably towards the end of XIX Century Archaeological Survey of India took interest in the site and took steps to protect and preserve the ruins. In 1986 Hampi was declared a World Heritage Site.

Today, Hampi is a sprawling collection of standalone temples & temple complexes, water tanks & canals, mantapas, fortification structures & gateways, military barracks, royal enclosures, stables, market places, memorials, water structures, and natural hills & rock formations spread over an area of 41 square kilometers. There's a saying in Kannada which goes like this: one with good eye-sight must see Kanakagiri, and those who can walk must see Hampi. Its true, to really see the monuments of Hampi, one must walk a lot, and be willing to spend a week here.

Stone chariot | Nandi in river Tungabhadra
gateway on Hemakuta | Lotus Mahal

Lakshmi Narasimha | Chandrashekar Devastana
temple on Hemakuta | stepped well

temple near Varaha Devastana | Matunga Betta
hunting scenes at Maha Navami Dibba | Markhandeya, Shiva and Yama

A list of monuments of Hampi one could see and feel:

1. Sasivekalu Ganesha - the eight feet tall idol of Ganesh situated next to Henakuta hill. The gateway to Hemakuta hill is approachable from Sasivekalu Ganesha enclosure.
2. Kadlekalu Ganesha - this fifteen feet tall idol of Ganesha is said to be one of the biggest in India. This shrine is five minutes walk from Sasivekalu Ganesha. 
3. Gateway to Hemakuta Gudda - This is a two-storey Mantapa on the highest point of Hemakuta hill. A flight of steps within the Sasivekalu Ganesha enclosure leads to the gateway. From this point one can see almost all the temples situated on this hill.
4. Shrines on Hemakuta Gudda - The hills gives a great view on the northern and western sides. People flock here in the evenings for a view of the sunset. There are a dozen shrines on Hemakuta hill. Kadalekalu Ganesha, Sasivekalu Ganesha, Moola Virupaksha, Anjaneya, Gayatri Peeta to name a few. Also there are open shrines of Linga and Rama-Anjaneya carved on the hill itself.
5. Virupaksha Devastana - this is the oldest and the most important temple of Hampi. Situated between Hemakuta hill and Tungabhadra, the temple complex has a Pushkarni and two Gopuras, facing and east. The eastern Gopura is a colossal structure of 160 feet while the northern Gopura is roughly 80 feet. One of the star attractions of this complex is the pinhole camera effect from an opening in the Gopura, inverted shadow can be seen on one of the walls inside the complex.
6. Manmatha Honda, shrines and bathing ghat - Manmatha Honda is the Pushkarni (stepped water tank) of Virupaksha temple. Besides the tank is bathing ghat which descends into Tungabhadra river. There are a number of shrines scattered around tank. 
7. Kottur Swami Matha - This monastery must be the branch of Basaveshwara monastery in Kotturu, a popular pilgrim center of central Karnataka.
8. Hampi Bazaar - The street in front of Virupaksha Devastana which is ¾ kilometre long was the main Bazaar of ancient Hampi. At the end of the street is a monolith idol of Nandi. The stone structures flanking the street were the shops of bygone times. Present day Hampi has a small market which is more like a hippy market.  
9. Nandi Mantapa - This is the eastern end of Hampi Bazaar. The Nandi idol is approximately 11 feet tall and it is sheltered in a 20 feet tall Mantapa. Besides the Mantapa are two paths, one leads to Chakratheerta and the other leads to Matugna Betta and Achyuthraya Devastana.
10. Matunga Gudda and Veerabhadra Devastana - This is the tallest hill of Hampi. A rough path goes up the hill to Veerabhadra temple at the summit. From this hill one can see Hampi in one go. After descending the hill, tourists can either head towards Achyutaraya Devastana or towards Krishna Devastana and Bazaar. 
11. Paalu Venkateshwara Devastana - This temple is little off Matunga Betta-Krishna temple path, situated amidst banana plantations. The temple's deity seems to be carved on a boulder which seems to its natural position.
12. Saraswati Devastana 1 - This temple is in a ruinous state but worth seeing it since the trek on this path is interesting. This is situated approximately 900 meters west of Venkateshwara Devastana and 300m south of Krishna Devastana.
13. Krishna Devastana and Bazaar - Krishna temple is said to be built in 1513 AD after the conquest of Udayagiri (present day Odisha). The temple's chief deity was Balakrishna. Adjoining the temple is Krishna Bazaar, one of the ancient markets. There's a large Pushkarni next to the market. The path connecting Matunga Betta and Krishna Bazaar is an interesting one, it passes by banana plantation where one can see the ancient canals systems still in use. At the beginning of the path is Durga shrine. 
14. Badavi Linga - This monolith Shivalinga measuring 3 meters in height is the largest in Hampi. The temple is partly below ground and a canal passes through it, hence the Linga is always standing in water. The temple roof is partly open to allow sunlight and cross ventilation.
15. Sri Lakshmi Narasimha - This is one of the best works of sculpture in Hampi. The 6.7 meters tall idol of sitting Narasimha was completed in 1528 CE i.e. during Krishnadevaraya's reign. The idol was badly damaged when Hampi was ransacked by enemy armies. Despite the damages, the idol is worth a visit. The best time to see this idol is early morning when the sun is facing the idol.
16. Chandikeswara Devastana - This shrine is dedicated to Vishnu even though the name indicated Shiva. This temple is known for its pillared hall which is visible from the road itself. Just behind this temple is a 700 pillared hall which is worth a visit.
17. Anjaneya Devastana - This is a small temple dedicated to Anajaneya. The idol is carved over a monolith block.
18. Uddana Veerabhadra Devastana - This is a small temple but religiously important shrine associated to Veerabhadra. The deity of this temple is a 3.6 meter tall monolithic idol of Uddana Veerabhadra. The temple's Deepa-Stambha is a noteworthy monument. Also a Sati stone is an important relic from this shrine.
19. Akka-Tangi Kallugalu (Sister Stones) - This is a natural formation of two massive boulders leaning on each other forming an inverted V shaped arch. The stones seem to be embracing each other hence the name. One of the stones broke and collapsed in 2011, yet tourists stop by for a quick look.
20. Kote Shankaranarayana gateway behind sister stones.
21. Prasanna Virupaksha Devastana - This temple was built in the early years of Vijayanagara. Somehow the temple was hidden buried in ground for nearly 400 years before its discover in 1980. The temple complex is below the surrounding land and usually filled with water. Only during the dry months, the temple courtyard is dry but the sanctum is always filled with water.
22.  Watch tower - this is an interesting building situated next to the ruins of Vira Harihara palace. The stone-mortar construction has somehow survived the ravages of time and pretty well preserved. One of the best ways to see this part of Hampi is to climb on to the platform and get an elevated 360° view.
23. Palace of Vira Harihara - like all other palaces ruins in Vijayanagara, only the foundation and base platform remains. The base has three levels and connected with balustraded steps. This palace enclosure is called as Dainik enclosure.
24. Mohammaden quarters and mosque - These are part of Vira Harihara palace complex. The mosque is a stone and mortar structure. Its columns and arches are well preserved, it has a pleasant look.
25. Band tower - This is an artistic looking octagonal structure comprising of two floors, graceful arches and a pyramidal stepped crown. Though its called as band stand, archaeologists say its a watch tower.
26. Mint - A group of buildings behind the mosque has been identified as Vijayanagara mint.
27. Noblemen's Quarters - Seemingly this was a locality of noblemen's residences. This group of ruins is situated opposite the watch tower and Veera Harihara palace. 
28. Mylara Lingeshwara shrine - this is an open shrine situated on a rocky outcrop close to noblemen's quarters. The deity is carved on a boulder which seems to be at its natural position. 
29. Granaries - These are two circular walls 40 feet in diameter are said to the remains of granaries. Ancient granaries usually were circular and come shaped, like the two remaining at Badami fort. There should many more granaries hidden all over Hampi.
30. Hazra Rama Devastana - This is a highly ornate temple dedicated to Vishnu in his aspects as Rama. The temple's four pillars in the main hall are magnificent creations. The is s ornate that its enclosure's walls are also covered with layers of images depicting elephants, horses, human armies and military forces, festival processions and other characters. Opposite this temple is Paan-Supari Bazaar and in the vicinity is Zenana Enclosure.
31. Mahadeva Devastana - This is a small temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is well preserved and has a small idol of Nandi. This shrine is situated 170 meters north of the granaries.
32. Archaeological Museum - A collection of artifacts from Hampi.
33. Zenana enclosure - This is a high walled enclosure of irregular shape in plan. The monuments within this space are the royal treasury, ruins of a palace, a water tank, Lotus Mahal and ornate watch towers similar to the 'Band Stand' standing at the enclosure's corners. The Lotus Mahal is one of the most attractive stone and mortar structure of Hampi.
34. Elephant stables - In the immediate neighborhood of Zenana enclosure is the big building with multiple domes and huge arches built specifically to house the royal elephants and their caretakers. There are individual stables interconnected with man-sized passages. Adjoining the stables are the Guards quarters.
35. Guards quarter - This building was strategically located to provide security for Zenana enclosure and royal treasury. The single storey structure built is built on a high platform. Inside it has a courtyard and a long open hall.
36. Tenali Rama pavilion - This pavilion is situated on a rocky outcrop, 250 meters northwest of Guard's quarter. The structure is quite plain in looks. However, this being associated to a legendary character, the building evokes curiosity.
37. Ganesha Devastana - This seems to be a temple whose deity is carved on a boulder. The shrine is situated 350 meters north of Tenali Rama pavilion.
38. Veerabhadra Devastana - The deity of this temple is a beautiful image of four armed Veerabhadreshwara, probably 7 feet tall. The shrine itself is situated on a rocky outcrop. The temples are small but neat assembly of blocks. Reaching this location will need some effort since it is isolated. 600m southeast of here is Sriganrada Hebbagilu.
39. Sringarada Hebbagilu - The name means decorated gateway. This is one of the gateways to the core of Hampi where the royal and noble resided. Such a gateway had to be ornate, befitting to welcome the noble. 420 meters west of  here is elephant stables and on the way are two monuments- Vishnu and Parshwanatha temples.
40. Vishnu temple -  Once a grand temple is ruins today. The stone structure is more or less intact but the brick & mortar construction is crumbling. 
41. Parshwanatha Devastana - The temple's doorway has a small Jaina image. The temple doesn;t seem to have any deity at present.
42. Ranga Devastana - Also called as the Madhwa Devastana, this temple has been restored in recent times. A large idol of Hamuman is kept in the Sabha Mantapa of this temple. As per an inscription found here this temple was built in 1545 CE.
43. Yellamma Devastana - One of the temples where rituals performed to this day. It is said that Vijayanagara kings worshiped the much feared Yellamma and hence this shrine received royal patronage. Besides this temple is a poorly kept Pushkarni.
44. Paan-Supari Bazaar - Right opposite Hazara Rama Devastana is this group of temples and Mantapa. The name Pan Supari Bazaar was found in an inscription of Devaraya II (1424 - 1426 CE) which confirms this was a market place for betel nut, leaves and other ingredients required for the preparation of paan. So, there could be a possible link between the present day betel tree plantation and the ancient ones. 
45. Monolithic stone trough - Of all the monuments here, this is one marvelous piece. The trough made of single block is approximately 42 feet long, 2 feet wide and 1½ feet deep. It can hold around 2000 liters. The trough was meant for horses and bullocks which did the hard work of transporting their masters.
46. Krishnadevaraya palace ruins - The ruins between the secret underground chamber and Pushkarni (stepped tank) said to be the remains of Krishnadevaraya's palace. Like most other buildings, this palace had a stone & mortar base while the super structure was wooden. 
47. Durbar hall - This was the hall where the king used to hear grievances and give audience to subjects. The hall was a two storeyed structure, the base was stone & mortar and the super structure was made of wooden beans, columns and planks. The palace was burnt down when Vijayanagara was ransacked.
48. Stone pillars and turned discs - These are close to the northwestern entrance of the royal enclosure, between the road and wall. Going by the circular marks on the flat stone, it seems to be a stone turning device like a milling machine.
49. Monolith doors - Close to the northeastern entrance of the royal enclosure is a pair of ornate  monolith doors, they are mirror images of each other and designed to fit into one door frame but for some reason remained unused. 
50. Mahanavami Dibba - This is a 24 feet high three tiered pyramidal platform used for important ceremonies of the royal family. This is situated at the north eastern corner of the royal enclosure.
51. Stepped tank and Public bath - Within the royal enclosure, the stepped tank is the most eye pleasing monument. This tank was hidden for few centuries before its discovery in 1980. Stone aqueducts supplied water to this tank. It is said that this tank was used for Theppotsaava. A stones throw is another water tank which is said to be the public bath.
52. King's secret chamber - This underground structure is said to be a place for secret discussions or a safe vault for valuables or confidential documents. The monuments walls have survived but the roof is missing.
53. Water pavilion - An octagonal shaped structure with arched openings situated right besides Hampi-Kamalapur road on the left-hand side half a kilometer before the Queen's bath house. As the label says this seems to be a water house made for public utility.
54. Bhojanashala - At this is a 2 feet wide stone lined canal flanked by stones slabs with seven circular pits. The central circle is one foot in diameter and flanked by three pits of 3 inches diameter. These are stone plates just like the steel lunch plates available today. This is said to be common dining area for the soldiers serving in the nearby royal enclosure. Probably a chapra (shelter of woven coconut leaves held up by wooden poles) was setup back then. This spot is diagonally opposite the water pavilion, very close to the main road.
55. Queen's bath house - This is a building with one small entrance, a central pool, an aisle around the pool with rooms on the sides. The ceiling over the aisle has a number of ornate domes. On the exterior, a canal runs around the perimeter which acted like a moat and also supplied water to the pool inside.
56. Chandrashekhar Devastana - A temple dedicated to Shiva close to the Queen's bath and Octagonal water pavilion. The temple is quite big, has a pillared Mukhamantapa and lot of open space between it and the compound walls. The entrance to this enclosure is through a large gateway with a Gopura.
57. Octagonal water pavilion - This is an octagon shaped open hall with a central pool. The aisle around the pool has a roof supported by granite pillars while the pool itself is open to the sky. This pool was probably meant for men. Besides this monument are ruins of two residences and another temple dedicated to Saraswati.
58. Saraswati Devastana 2 - A northwest facing temple with three entrances situated on a rocky mound opposite the Octagonal water pavilion. The temple is simple but an elegant looking structure.
59. Archaeological Museum, Kamalapur - One must visit this museum to see the scale model of Hampi's topography with the monuments located in it. Then there are three other sections- 1. sculptures of Hampi, 2. brass inscriptions, coins, tools, arms and other objects from the Vijayanagara years and 4. prehistoric pottery, hero stones and Sati stones. The museum is open between 10 AM and 5 PM and remains closed on Fridays.
60. Pattabhirama Devastana and Lokapavani - This is one of the largest and well preserved temples of VIjayanagara. The temple is not ornate as such but the massive Yali pillars are worth seeing. Within the temple walls are shrines dedicated to Garuda and Devi. The temple's Pushkarni called Lokapavani is situated 200 meters away, on the road leading to the domed gateway. 
61. Domed gateway - This is the only well preserved gateway to the royal enclosure. Also this is unique since the architecture is Islamic. The gateway comprises of four massive columns supporting the dome above. The columns are connected by graceful arches. This is situated 600 meters north of Pattabhirama temple. The other gateway in the vicinity is Bhima's gateway.
62. Bheemana Hebbagilu - Compared to other gateways, this is a rather primitive looking structure. The arch is formed by a stack of rough cut granite slabs. One of the walls here has an image of Draupadi watching Bheema and Duryodhana engaged in a fight. This gateway is situated off Kamalapur-Kampli road, the approach road is right next to Ganagitti temple.
63. Ganagitti Devastana - A fairly simple looking Jain temple situated next to Kamalapur-Kampli road.
64. Malayavanta Gudda - This is one of the most beautiful places of Hampi. On this rocky hill are temples dedicated to Prasanna Virupaksha, Malayavanta Rabhunataha and Veeranjaneya. The temple complex is enclosed in stones walls and has a gateway with a Gopura. The shrine is well preserved. Also, there's a series of Shivalingas and Nandis carved on the rock itself. This elevated place is a favorite to watch sunrises and sunsets. This hill is situated 2.8 kms on Kamalapur-Kampli road.
65. Talarigatte gate - a gateway to the inner core on the eastern side. This is situated on the road which goes to Vittala Devastana complex.
66. Gejjala Mantapa - This is a gorgeous looking pillared hall with a crown of brick & mortar. It is open on all four sides. The structure has fourteen pillars and a central platform. Usually this type of Mantapas were used for special occasions like wedding, naming, anniversary or birthday celebrations. This is situated next to the foot path leading to Vittala Devastana.
67. Kudure Gombe Mantapa - A pillared hall with six highly ornate prancing horse columns and curved canopy dominating the facade. This hall is open on its northern side and has walls on the other three sides. This is situated a minute's walk from Gejjala Mantapa.
68. Vittala Bazaar and Lokapavani - One of the ancient market places of Hampi. The name is derived from the proximity to Vittala Devastana. Close to the market place is a Pushkarni, stepped water tanks for public use.
69. Shiva Devastana and Mantapa - At the end of Vittala Bazaar street is a temple which of considerable size enclosed in walls and has a gateway with a Gopura. Besides the temple is a standalone Mantapa.
70. Vittala Devastana - This temple complex is known for its size, beauty and features. Within the enclosure is the famed stone chariot, Kalyana Mantapa, the main temple's Maha Mantapa, Hanuman shrine and Devi shrine. The enclosure has two gateways, both have Gopura but partly collapsed. Also inside the complex is a Frangipani tree which creates a special feel to the courtyard. The Maha Mantapa's most notable feature is its musical pillars. When the pillars produce different tunes when tapped with fingers. However, tourists are not allowed inside the Maha Mantapa after part of the roof collapsed.
71. Nammalvar Devastana - To the south of Vittala complex is this temple dedicated to Nammalvar, one of the twelve Alwar saints of Tamil Nadu who are known for their affiliation to the Vaishnava tradition.
72. Inscribed Vishnu Devastana - This is a small temple which gets its name from the inscriptions found on its outer walls. It is said that this temple was originally dedicated to Tirumangai Alvar, the last of the twelve Alvar saints.
73. King's balance, two storey gateway and temples in its vicinity - The Kannada word for this is monument is Arasana Tulabara ~ king's balance. A weighing balance was suspended from the beam. During special occasions like a birthday or wedding anniversary, the royal family members would donate food grains or wealth in the form of gold or silver equal to their body weight. In the vicinity of the balance is the two storey Mantapa which happens to be the other entrance for the groups of temples here.
74. Vysaraya Matha - This group of temples within a tight enclosure is said to be the monastery of the renowned Madhwa saint Vysaraja or Vyasatheerta. Since there's a temple of Narasimha, this is also called as Narasimha Devastana. This is situated on a rocky slope close to the King;s balance.
75. Purandara Dasara Mantapa - The riverside pillared hall is named after the Kannada poet-ascetic Purandaradasa, a contemporary of Vysatheerta, because he spent his final years in this Mantapa. In comparison to other Mantapas, this one is made of heavy columns and beams so that it can withstand the force of flowing water.
76. Ancient bridge - Ruins of the bridge are visible from Prandaradasa Mantapa. The bridge cuts across a rocky island in Tungabhadra. One can see pillars standing close to the banks. The pillars in between are missing but the holes where the columns stood are visible.
77. Hanumantha Devastana and Raghunanda Theertamoola - 
78. Sugreeva's cave - A group of natural boulders leaning on each other forming a cavern is believed to be Sugreeva's residence. This spot is close to Vysatheerta Matha. The heavily foot path passing by connects Vittala temple complex and Achyuthraya temple via Varaha temple and courtesan street.
79. Anantasayana Shrine - This is an image of reclining Vishnu carved on a boulder in the boulder-heap close to Chakratheerta. Close to this are riverside Mantapas and other shrines as well. 
80. Kotilinga rock shrine -  This is an open air shrine of a large number of Shivalinga carved on a boulder close to Chakratheerta.
81. Chandramouleshwara Devastana - This temple is situated on the deserted Rishimukha island. This monument is seldom visited by tourists because of the remote location.
82. Nava Brindavana - This too is situated on an island between Hampi and Anegondi. As the name indicates, this is an enclosure where the nine Madhwa saints' tombs are. When the river is almost dry, this island can be reached by foot, else a boat ride is the only option.
83. Varaha Devastana - This Saivate shrine is known as Varaha temple because of the Varaha emblem at the eastern entrance. This temple stands at the junction of three paths- 1. path going to Kodandarama Devastana, 2. courtesan street and 3. path going towards Vittala temple complex. 
84. Kondanda Rama Devastana - This is the temple facing Chakratheerta. The temple deities are idols of Lakshmana, Rama and Sita carved on a huge boulder. The temple's facade consists of huge simple looking columns. This temple marks the place where Rama crowned Sugreeva as the king of Kishkinda.
85. Yantroddhara Hanuman Devastana - This shrine is neatly tucked into the rock formations close to Kodandarama. The deity of this temple is an image of sitting Hanuman at the centre of a Hexagram inside a circle. The image carries a deep meaning, its legend is connected to Madhwacharya. This shrine is considered highly sacred and powerful. 
86. Chakratheerta - Place where Tungabhadra takes a ninety degree turn and flows northwards. At the bend the river is wide and a large pool is formed. Usually this spot has water throughout the year. Tourists take coracle ride for fun or to crossover to Rishimukha island. Considered as a sacred spot, there are a number of shrines around Chakratheerta. 
87. Courtesan street and Pushkarni - this is yet another market places of Hampi. The 350 meters long street is flanked by pillared halls, it starts at Varaha temple and ends at Achyutraya temple. At the middle, on the western side is a Pushkarni with a Mantapa at the center.
88. Achyutraya Devastana - This north-facing temple complex is situated at the foot of Matanga hillIt was  known as Tiruvengalanatha Devastana according to inscriptions. This temple was built by Krishnadevaraya's younger brother Achutaraya, hence the name but the temple is dedicated to Venkateshwara.

Besides the above spots, there are monuments just outside Hampi i.e. between Hampi and Hosapete:

1. Mohamadden tombs at Kadirampura: This is a group of tombs built in Bahamani style. One of the most notable structures is a tomb without a dome but it's circular at the lintel level.
2. Agasi Bagilu and Kuparama Vatika: About half-way between Hampi and Hosapete are the two ancient gateways of Malapanagudi village which was a place of importance. People traveling to Hampi passed through this village and its gateways. Close the eastern gateway is an ancient stepped well named Kuparama Vatika. The well, unlike other wells is not circular, its octagonal.
3. Anantashayana Gudi: This north facing temple dedicated to sleeping Vishnu is the largest temple of Vijayanagara empire. Largest in terms of the temple's dimensions, especially the dimensions of the sanctum. The dome over the sanctum is the most noticeable part, it can be compared to the largest unsupported domes like Gol Gumbaz and Taj Mahal. However, Ananatasayana Gudi, built more than a century earlier than the other two is one of the least visited monuments of Vijayanagara.

In my opinion, for one to see all the places listed here, it would require a complete week at Hampi, touring daily from sunrise to sunset. To keep things efficient a group of three or four works well. Larger the group, things tend to slow down. Riding around bicycles or bikes will be lot more fun and convenient than a car. However, there's a tendency to hit a saturation point by intense touring. Maybe one can make two or three trip with a few months inbetween.

.........

Agasi and Kuparama Vatika, Hospete-Hampi road

Hampi being a wealthy capital of Vijayanagara kingdom surely had satellite towns around it. Malapanagudi has been identified as one of the prosperous places. The village has two gateways, one on the eastern end and other at the western end. During my first visit here in 1996, I remember these gateways weren't isolated, meaning they were part of Hosapete-Hampi road, traffic used to pass through these gateways. Sometime between then and few years ago, the gateways were marked protected monuments and isolated.

A board has been posted at the eastern gateway with below description:

ಈ ಅಗಸಿ ಅಥವಾ ದ್ವಾರ ಬಾಗಿಲು ಹೊಸಪೇಟೆ-ಹಂಪಿ ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಮಲಪನಗುಡಿ ಗ್ರಾಮದಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಗ್ರಾಮವು ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧತೆಯನ್ನು ಪಡೆದ ಗ್ರಾಮವಾಗಿದೆ. ಈ ಗ್ರಾಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಮುಖವಾಗಿ ಮಲ್ಲಿಕಾರ್ಜುನ ದೇವಾಲಯ ಹಾಗೂ ಊರಿನ ಸರಹದ್ದಿನಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಸೂಳೆಬಾವಿ ಅಥವಾ ಕೂಪರಾಮ ಬಾವಿ ಮತ್ತು ದ್ವಾರಬಾಗಿಲುಗಳು ಪ್ರವಾಸಿಗರ ಆಕರ್ಷಣೀಯ ಕೇಂದ್ರಗಳಾಗಿವೆ.
ಪ್ರಸ್ತುತದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಲಪನಗುಡಿ ಗ್ರಾಮವು ಚಿಕ್ಕ ಹಳ್ಳಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದರೂ, ವಿಜಯನಗರ ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಇದು ಬಹು ಮುಖ್ಯ ಪಾತ್ರವಹಿಸಿತ್ತೆನ್ನಲಾಗಿದೆ.
ಈ ದ್ವಾರ ಬಾಗಿಲು ಪಶ್ಚಿಮದಿಂದ ಬರುವ ವ್ಯಾಪಾರಿಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಯಾತ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ ವಿಜಯನಗರ ಪಟ್ಟಣ ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಹೆಬ್ಬಾಗಿಲಾಗಿ ಪರಿಗಣಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟಿತ್ತು ಎಂಬ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯಗಳಿವೆ. ಅಂಥ ಬೃಹತ್ ದ್ವಾರವನ್ನು ಇಂದಿಗೂ ಕಾಣುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಮಲ್ಲಿಕಾರ್ಜುನ ಗುಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಕ್ರಿ.ಶ.೧೪೧೨ರ ಕಾಲಾವಧಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ಶಾಸನವು ರಾಜಧಾನಿ ಪಟ್ಟಣಕ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರವೇಶ ಪಡೆಯುವ ಈ ದಾರಿಯನ್ನು ಮಹಾಪಥ (ಹೆದ್ದಾರಿ) ಎಂದು ಉಲ್ಲೇಖಿಸಿದೆ. ದ್ವಾರದ ಸಮೀಪದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿರಂತರವಾಗಿ ಬರುವ ಅಗಣಿತ ಸಂಖ್ಯೆಯ ಜನಮಾನ್ಯರಿಗೂ ಮತ್ತು ವ್ಯಾಪಾರಿಗಳಿಗೂ ಅರವಟಿಗೆ ಅನುಕೂಲಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಮಾಳಿಗೆ ಕೂಪರಾಮನ ಬಾವಿಯನ್ನು ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿರುವ ಬಗೆಗೆ ದೀರ್ಘವಾಗಿರುವ ವಿವರಗಳು ದಾಖಲಾಗಿದ್ದುಂಟು. ಇದೇ ರೀತಿಯ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ದ್ವಾರಬಾಗಿಲು ಗ್ರಾಮದ ಪೂರ್ವಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿದೆ.

This gateway, at the Malapanagudi village on the Hospet-Hampi road, is of historical significance. The Mallikarjuna Temple, the Sulebavi / Kuparama Well and entrance gateways are the main attractions of this village.
Though today Malapanagudi presents itself as a small village, it played a very important role during the Vijayanagara period. This impressive gateway, on the west, provided vital access to Vijayanagara. Travelers and merchants entered the kingdom through this gate which can still be seen. Inscriptions dating back to 1412 CE in the Mallikarjuna temple liken the passage through this gate to a highway. They also state that a tank was constructed near this massive gate. It is evident that an impressive amount of infrastructure was built to accommodate and to provide comfort to the large number of travelers and merchants to Vijayanagara This impressive tank, the Sulebavi / Kuparama well is one such example. On the east side of the village there is a similar gateway.

Across the road is another monumental well which is octagonal in plan and has steps descending into it. This was made for traveler's convenience. Vijayanagara kings made sure travelers had sufficient resting places which had shelters, fresh water wells and trees. I remember seeing such shelters and wells even in a far flung place in Cuddapah district. Since Krishnadevaraya was closely connected to Tirumala, the administration that time had constructed mantapas and wells on Hampi-Thirumala route.

A board planted close to the describes the well as follows:

ಇದು ವಿಜಯನಗರ ಕಾಲದ ಪುರಾತನ ಬಾವಿಯಾಗಿದೆ. ಹೊಸಪೇಟೆ-ಹಂಪಿ ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಮಲಪನಗುಡಿ ಗ್ರಾಮವು ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧತೆಯನ್ನು ಪಡೆದ ಗ್ರಾಮವಾಗಿದೆ. ಈ ಗ್ರಾಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಮುಖವಾಗಿ ಮಲ್ಲಿಕಾರ್ಜುನ ಗುಡಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಊರಿನ ಸರಹದ್ದಿನಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಸೊಳೆಬಾವಿ ಅಥವಾ ಕೂಪರಾಮ ಬಾವಿಯು ಪ್ರವಾಸಿಗರ ಆಕರ್ಷಣೀಯ ಕೇಂದ್ರಗಳಾಗಿವೆ.
ಈ ಬಾವಿಯ ಪ್ರಾಚೀನತೆಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದಂತೆ ಹೇಳುವುದಾದರೆ ಕ್ರಿ.ಶ. ೧೪೧೨ರ ಕಾಲಾವಧಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ಶಾಸನವು ಕೆಲವು ಮಹತ್ವ ಸಂಗತಿಗಳನ್ನು ವಿವರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಸಂಗಮ ವಂಶದ ದೇವರಾಯನ ಆಳ್ವಿಕೆ ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಬುಳ್ಳನಾಯಕರ ಮಗ ಹೆಗ್ಗಡೆ ಸೋವಂಣ (ಸೋವಿದೇವ) ಬಿಸಿಲುಹಳ್ಳಿ ಕಣಿವೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಬುಡುವಲಿಯ ಕಣಿವೆ ಕೂಡುವ ದಾರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅರವಟಿಗೆಯನ್ನು ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿ ಮಾಳಿಗೆ ಬಾವಿಯನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿಸಿ ಆ ಅರವಟಿಗೆ ಯಾವಾಗಲೂ ಇರುವಂತೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಬಾವಿ ಶಿಥಿಲವಾದರೆ ಜೀರ್ಣೋದ್ದಾರ ಮಾಡಲು ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರಿಗೆ ಕೆಲವು ದತ್ತಿಗಳನ್ನು ನೀಡಿರುವ ಕುರಿತ ಮಾಹಿತಿಗಳು de ಶಾಸನದಲ್ಲಿ ದಾಖಲಾಗಿರುವುದುಂಟು.
ವಿಜಯನಗರ ಕಾಲದ ಪ್ರಾಚೀನ ರಸ್ತೆಯ ಪಕ್ಕದಲ್ಲೇ ಇರುವ ಈ ಬಾವಿಯನ್ನು ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾದುಹೋಗುವ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರ ದಾಹ ತಣಿಸುವ ಉದ್ದೇಶದಿಂದ ನಿರ್ಮಿಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಈ ಬಾವಿಗೆ ಇಳಿಯಲು ಮೆಟ್ಟಿಲುಗಳಿದ್ದು, ಕಟ್ಟಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡು ಹಂತದ ವೃತ್ತಾಕಾರದ ಮೊಗಸಾಲೆಗಳಿವೆ. ಮಧ್ಯದ ಹಂತದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದಾಡುವಂತೆ ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಬಾವಿಗೆ ಇಂಡೊ-ಇಸ್ಲಾಮಿಕ್ ಶೈಲಿಯ ಕಮಾನು ಆಕಾರದ ಬಾಗಿಲುಗಳಿವೆ. ಈ ಬಾವಿಗೆ ಹಳೆಯ ರಸ್ತೆಯ ಕಡೆ ಮತ್ತು ಮಂಟಪದ ದಿಕ್ಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರವೇಶದ್ವಾರಗಳಿವೆ.

This ancient well of the Vijayanagara period is located in the Malapanagudi village. It has historical significance and is on the Hospet-Hampi road. and Sulebavi well (or Mallikarjuna temple and Kuparamabavi well) are at the outskirts of the village and are a tourist attraction.
The inscription of 1412 C.E. mentions the significance of this well. During the rule of Devaraya of the Sangama Dynasty, Heggode Sovana, son of Bullanayaka constructed small tanks halfway through Bisiluhalli peak and Buduvali peak. He also made donations to the Brahmanas to maintain these tanks.
This tank which is adjacent to the ancient road of Vijayanagara has been constructed to quench the thirst of travelers. There are steps to get into the well and there are two levels of circular corridors in the structure. The middle level has been constructed with a walkable path. The well has Indo-Islamic style arched entrances which face the old road and the mantapa.

The lintel beam has an inscription in Kannada script.

Builders of those times had built water related structures in octagonal shape. I wonder why. Three other structures which are octagonal are the two water pavilions and Queen's bath house in the ruins of Hampi. Another similar well is Pari Bowli situated between Bidar and Astur.

The well also had projecting platform so that one could draw water using rope and pots.

Sridhar and I had arrived here from Dharwad. This stop was a nice way to start Hampi tour. From here we move towards Kamalapur with an objective to visit Pattabhirama Devastana & Pushkarni,  the Domed gateway and two other monuments situated in the farm lands near Kamalapur.

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Fort Ratnagiri - part 2

...continued from Fort Ratnagiri - part 1
Ratnagiri hill fort has a perimeter of about 4.5 kms, it spans across two hillocks and plain land. On plain land, along the fort walls runs a moat. Within the fort is part of the village.. probably original settlers.. an online source says that after the fall of Vijayanagara kingdom several hundred Brahmin families settled at Ratnagiri. Coming back to the terrain, the hilly part of the fort has three levels and right now I'm at level 2 and about to climb to level 3 - the summit. In this picture, the steep flight of steps hewn out rock is visible clearly. Probably this is the only way to the summit. A closer view of upper half the stairway (see inset).

At the end of the stairway is a gateway, its in pretty bad shape, I'd to clamber over rocks to reach it. This part can be dangerous in wet conditions. For that matter, its best not to attempt this stairway if rocks are wet.

View from the gateway: Looking down towards level 2.. the two buildings are in fairly good condition, they might have been used as soldiers quarters or for storing food grains/armaments. Also there's a small temple. Probably more buildings were to be built.. abandoned for some reason.

Now I've entered the core fort, the summit, its not a large area here, one roofless structure and a conical bastion stand here. There's a small structure with sloped roof, probably a rest-house for soldiers. Tanks to harvest rain water is present. These structures seem to be built some time between Vijayanagara rule and Hyder Ali or Tipu Sultan's rule. The gateway seen here is a multi-storey structure.

Panning to the left the bastion comes into view. The bastion must have had a stairway to its top but I could not see one. On the bastions right side, on the walls are two vertical channels.. probably to direct rain water flowing down from the roof. On the left side, away from the walls is dome-shaped structure with a small opening, inside it has a shallow pit. I remember seeing similar domes at Madhugiri fort. I think they were built to store grains or oil.

I was quite surprised to see this group, was not expecting to see people here. They were Telugu and Kannada speaking folks from a nearby village, they had come to see the fort. I sat down in the shade few minutes, cooled off and had some water. Wind was pleasant up here.

Close where we sat was the rampart wall.. portions of which had fallen off. Level 2 wall is visible. Rampart walls run down this hillock and then climb up the neighboring hill seen here. I won't be able to explore the entire fort :( time is always a constraint. The spot from where I shot is an extension of the wall.. not exactly a bastion but a watch point. See inset for a view of outer surface of the wall.

View of the fort in plain land, original Ratnagiri village is within the fort walls. The large square structure close to the center of the picture is the main gateway of the fort. I'd passed through it an hour ago. At the bottom right corner is another gateway. Besides gateways bastions are also seen. Running along the wall is a trench - that would be the moat..

View of the rampart walls joining the hill. On this part the trench is quite shallow, probably it was filled in.

Turning our attention back tot the summit; this is the western section of the summit. A sloped roof structure.. probably a rest-house for guards. Just behind the rest-house is a turret, design is typical to Tipu occupied-altered forts. View of the rest-house from the rampart wall (see inset).

Next to the rest-house are two water tanks of unequal sizes. Water lines of the rocks/walls indicate tanks were full often. Indeed very effective rain water harvesting systems.

Central bastion as seen from rampart wall, water tank in foreground. If you look beyond the structures, the neighboring hill's peak is visible. Looks like the other hill is slightly higher than this hill. A closer look at the domed structure next to the central bastion (see inset).

A pair of feet engraved on the rock close to the central bastion. Behind the feet is a set of lines which look like text but the text is not engraved, rather it seems embossed. Is this pair of feet created in memory of some holy man who had visited this spot? I have a feeling this feet marks the stay of a Jain monk.. saying that because of the presence of the Jain Basadi in Ratnagiri village.

View of rampart wall and bastions connecting the two hillocks. I wish I had time enough to explore the entire fort.. might have required another hour and half easily.

I decide to leave.. paused a while at the gateway. Wondering what's the idea behind having a two storey gateway.

Descending the hill was fast, Soon I was on plain land between the two hillocks. I spent some time at this here at the Kalyani but skipped venturing into the Mantapa and temple.

This the fort's main entrance, it has the typical zig-zag path. I should have stopped and checked for inscriptions in the gateway. I must remember to visit this place whenever I'm in the vicinity.

A hero-stone close to the fort's main entrance; it shows four characters- a prancing horse, a royal couple, and an attendant. It looks quite recent.. may be 200 to 250 years old.

Truly Ratnagiri was a formidable fort during its heydays. No wonder it was a power center for Cholas and Pandyas. Surely Nayakas would have controlled it at some point of time. Hopefully, I'm here again and explore the remaining parts of the fort.

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