Continuously active since the seventh century, lively Virupaksha Temple is one of the signature landmarks of Hampi. Covering around 9,900 acres in the Indian state of Karnataka, the city was the last capital of the Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagara, a flourishing empire whose temples and palaces would have seduced any visitor at its peak between the 14th and 16th centuries. Conquered by a group of sultanates known as the Deccan Confederation in 1565, the city was plundered for months before being abandoned. Today, Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising hundreds of monuments scattered across the landscape. It’s still an important place of pilgrimage and devotion, with worshippers decorating trees and bringing offerings to the gods.


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