Hampi in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, is a small heritage town with a magnificent past for it holds the ruins of the fabulous Vijayanagar Empire, one of India’s most powerful Hindu empires. Once a prosperous trading centre, Hampi today is an impressive rock strewn landscape, with abandoned markets, grand temples, and long-forgotten stables showing the passage of time here. A strange and magical place, Hampi – a World Heritage Site – is one of the most beautiful towns in Karnataka.

Hampi has both an epical and empirical history. Evidence from India’s popular epic, the Ramayana has led to the belief that in the epical age, Hampi was the capital of the monkey kingdom of Kishkindha. Hampi was once the centre of a vibrant, thriving Vijayanagar Empire that enriched the entire region with carved temples and rock-cut magnificence. It is believed that the markets of Hampi were regarded as the center of trade and the magnificence of the temples lured people from all over the region.

Today, this is one of the richest heritage sites in India and truly offers a bucket-list experience.