Vijayanagara
A view of the Virupaksha complex from Hemakuta hill
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 Shown within Karnataka
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| Location | Hampi, Ballari district, Karnataka, India |
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| Coordinates | 15°19′30″N 76°27′54″E / 15.32500°N 76.46500°ECoordinates: 15°19′30″N 76°27′54″E / 15.32500°N 76.46500°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| Area | 650 km2 (250 sq mi) |
| Official name | Group of Monuments at Hampi |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, iii, iv |
| Designated | 1986 (10th session) |
| Reference no. | 241 |
| Region | Asia and Oceania |
Vijaya Nagara (Kannada: ವಿಜಯನಗರ, "City of Victory") was the capital city of the historic Vijayanagara Empire which extended over South India. The city's ruins, surrounding the modern-day village of Hampi, are in Ballari district, Karnataka.
Most of the city lies on the south bank of the Tungabhadra River. The city was built around the religious center of the Virupaksha temple complex at Hampi. Other holy places lie within its environs, including the site that legend calls as Kishkindha, which includes the historically important Hanuman temple (the cave home of Anjana, Kesari and Shabari) and a holy pond called the Pampasarovar. It is known to house the cave home of Sugriva, the monkey king in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
The city at its greatest extent was considerably larger than the area described here; an account is given at the article on the Vijayanagara metropolitan area. The central areas of the city, which include what are now called the Royal Centre and the Sacred Centre, extend over an area of at least 40 km². It includes the modern village of Hampi. Another village, Kamalapura, lies just outside the old walled city, surrounded by ruins and monuments. The nearest town and railway is in Hospet, about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) by road. Hosapete lies within the original extents of the old city, though most of the items of interest are walking distance of Hampi and Kamalapura.
The natural setting for the city is a hilly landscape, dotted with granite boulders. The Tungabhadra river runs through it and provides protection from the north. Beyond the hills, on the south bank on which the city was built, a plain extended further the south. Large walls and fortifications of hewn granite defended the centre of the city.
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