Hospet Information
Hospet is 340 kms away from Bangalore. Hospet, a small dusty town in
Northern Karnataka, was once the seat of the powerful Vijayanagar
Empire. Though the town does not have much to offer the visitors, its
importance lies in its nearness to Hampi, the erstwhile capital of the
Vijayanagar rulers. There was a time when Hampi was the epitome of
architectural wonders. Most of the great buildings of this place are now
in ruins, though UNESCO and the Archaeological Survey of India have
tried their best to recreate the original charm of the place. Hospet is
the ideal base for tourists visiting Hampi and other nearby places.
Getting There:
By Air : The closet airport is located at Bellary at
74 km.
By Rail : Hospet railway station is 1 km north of
center of the town.
By Road : The bus station is in the center of town,
within walking distance to many of the hotels.
Tourist Attractions:
Hampi
337 kms from Bangalore and 65 kms from Bellary is a World Heritage
Centre, Hampi is the most beautiful and evocative of all the ruins in
Karnataka. The erstwhile capital of the vijayanagar kingdom, Hampi is
full of delightful surprises. Like the King's Balance where kings were
weighed against grain, gold or money which was then distributed to the
poor, the Queen's Bath with its arched corridors, projecting balconies,
the two-storied Lotus Mahal with recessed archways, the huge Elephant
Stables, the splendid Vitthala Temple with its musical pillars and the
Stone Chariot, the virupaksha Temple still used for worship, ugra
Narasimha, the 6.7 , tall monolith, the Mahanavami Dibba and so much
Pushkarni
It is one of the most recent excavations. The once - powerful
Vijayanagar empire was compared to Rome by the portuguese traveller
paes.
Hampi Kannada University Campus, 3 kms from Hampi is worth visiting.
Chitradurga
The charming town of Chitradurga is a must visit for the tourists to
Hospet. You may holiday at Chitradurga on your way to Hospet from
Bangalore. The hill and fort town of Chitradurga is often referred to as
Kallina Kote or the Place of Stones. The bold rocky hills and
picturesque valleys with huge towering boulders offer nature at its best
at Chitradurga. The Palegars, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan built the famous
fort of Chitradurga. The fort lies enclosed in series of seven walls and
is known for its military architecture. There are as many as nineteen
gateways to the fort. There are several ancient temples inside the fort.
You may visit the Sampige Siddeshwara temple, the cave shrine of
Hidimbeshwara, Ekanathamma, Phalguneshwara, Gopalakrishan, Anjaneya,
Subbaraya et al. at the hilltop of Chitradurga. Of these the
Hidimbeshwara is the oldest. The largest temple in the town happens to
be dedicated to Goddess Uchchangtamma who was the patron goddess of the
Paleyagars. The temple has a two-storied building and boasts of a unique
swing arch and tall lamp-pillar. Thirty-five kilometers from Chitradurga
is Nayakana Hatti. The major tourist attractions at Nayakana Hatti are
the temple and tomb of saint Tippe Rudraswamy.
