About Hampi
Now a tiny village in Karnataka, Hampi Meenakshi Travels (RR Group) was once the proud and prosperous capital of the Vijaynagara kingdom. Designated a World heritage Site by the UNESCO, it is a hill-town full of romantic ruins and incredible greenery. At its peak, it was a city full of magnificent temples and palaces. Its grandeur was finally lost when it was attacked by the Mughals in the latter half of the 16th century.
Two brothers from the Sangama family, Harihara and Bukka, gave it the status of their capital in the year 1336 A.D. Over a period of 300 years, 23 kings ruled over this city. Hampi’s most celebrated ruler, Krishnadeva Raya, finally lost the city in 1564. Legend has it that such was its wealth that it took six months and thousand of elephants to carry the loot out.
Hampi was in its glory 700 years ago. It was the capital of the famous Vijayanagara empire. The city is in absolute ruins now. But during the time when it was alive, it was known for its splendor, grandeur, and fabulous wealth far beyond the shores of India.
Hampi was destroyed by Mughal invaders in 1565.
Hampi is located in the northern part of Karnataka state of India, on the banks of the Tungabhadra river, and is about 343 kilometers from Bangalore. The ruins of Hampi is scattered over a 26 square kilometer area amidst boulders and vegetation. You can take a visit from Meenakshi Travels (RR Group) to Hampi.
The web site Meenakshi Travels (RR Group) makes to visit Hampi
"The splendid remains of palaces and gateways of the broken city tells a tale of men infinite talent and power of creativity together with his capacity for senseless destruction.
Strewn over a large area (about nine square miles) the ruins at Hampi offers to the tourist a remainder of the greatest land in the whole world. Every rock, every path and every monument at Hampi speak the same language; a language of glory and beauty."
Hampi Meenakshi Travels (RR Group) has been declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. After long neglect, in March 2002, the Government of India has announced that Hampi would be developed as an international tourists destination centre.
Hampi Meenakshi Travels (RR Group), once a flourishing capital of the Vijayanagar Empire, is a very small village in the Northern Karnataka. Hampi exhibits the vast relics of the city of Vijaynagar, also known as the City of Victory. The Vijaynagar empire extended from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal and from the Deccan Plateau to the tip of the peninsula. It was built as a showpiece of imperial magnificence. The main attraction in Hampi are the temples built by the Vijaynagar empire. The temperature in Hampi ranges from 23 to 38 degree Celsius in summers and 10 to 15 degree Celsius in winters. Hampi can be visited throughout the year, except from April to June, when it is very hot.
The main tourist attractions in Hampi are its temples. The various temples in Hampi are Virupaksha Temple, Vittala Temple. The other tourist attractions in Hampi are Lotus Mahal, Hazara Rama Temple, Queen's Bath and Tungabhadra Dam. You can visit these places by Meenakshi Travels (RR Group)
Hampi is connected with all parts of Karnataka and to Hyderabad by road. Some of the nearby cities are Pattadakal, Aihole, Badami, Bijapur and Bangalore. Make a shot to visit only by Meenakshi Travels (RR Group)
The Hampi city was wealthy, greater than Rome, with a market full of jewels and palaces plated with gold, having held a monopoly of trade in spices and cotton, bejeweled courtesans and joyous festivities. However, with the defeat in 1565 at Talikota at the hands of the Deccan Sultans, the dazzling city was largely destroyed. Now the city has ruins of stone temples, elephant stables, barracks and palaces. The ruins of Hampi lies scattered in about 26 sq. km area, amidst golden brown granite boulders and vegetation. So plan trip Hampi to view this places by Meenakshi Travels (RR Group)
The Hampi city is also the home of Pampakshetra - home of Pampa, the daughter of Lord Brahma and wedded to Shiva.
Book online bus tickets to Hampi by Meenakshi Travels (RR Group)
About Tirupati
The city of Tirupati is one of the biggest pilgrimage centers of the world. Positioned at the foothills of the Eastern Ghats in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, Tirupati is most famous for the VenkateswaraSwamy temple located in the Tirumala Hills. 50,000 - 100,000 pilgrims visit Tirupati every day, traveling from far and wide to offer Darshan to Lord Venkateswara. The number of Darshan seekers who take the tour in a single day can skyrocket to 500,000 on special occasions, making Tirupati the busiest religious destination in the whole world. The Venkateswara Temple is found atop the last of the seven Tirumala hills near Tirupati, at an elevation of 853 meters. Other major centers for the pilgrim’s tour include the Govindaraja shrine within Tirupati and the Padmavati shrine in Tiruchanur, about 5 kilometers south of Tirupati.
Historically, the Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala is claimed to have been an established center of Vaishnavism by 5th century A.D. The town of Tirupati formed itself much later around the foundation of the Govindarajaswami Temple, which was established by the Vaishnavaite teacher, Ramanuja, during the twelfth century. Prior to this the only settlement in the area was a tiny village named Kapilatirtham, a short distance to the north of modern-day Tirupati. ‘Ramanujapuram,’ expanded a great deal during Vijayanagara times, gradually forming a big township. Over successive centuries, several other shrines too sprouted up lending to Tirupati’shighly regarded sanctity. Today, with never less than 5,000 pilgrims offering Darshan to Lord Venkateswara, the temple has turned into one of the richest places of worship in the entire world, second only to SreePadmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala.
Entry and regular Darshan at the TirupatiVenkateswara Temple is free, however, those who choose to pay extra may join the express lane for a quick Darshan. Touring pilgrims may also buy quick Darshan tickets that are available at the Vaikuntam Queue Complex- a series of inter-linked hallways leading up to the main shrine where the BalajiDarshan takes place. The queue system regulates a minimum of 5,000 worshipers seeking Darshan at any given point and ensures orderly movement of pilgrims. The free Darshan is called ‘SarvaDarshan,’ translating into ‘darshan for all.’ This common Darshan is normally allotted between 18 and 20 hours daily and has different timings each day. The ‘SeegraDarshan’ ticket was introduced in 2009 to provide a quick and convenient Darshan for Pilgrims who are willing to pay extra. The cost of a SeegraDarshan ticket is Rs. 300 per pilgrim and can be made available as part of the package tour. On purchasing the SeegraDarshan ticket, pilgrims are allowed their Darshan directly. SeegraDarshan tickets are available at all times when the SarvaDarshan is open.
The DivyaDarshan is provided for those who make it to Tirumala by foot via the GaliGopuram or SrivariMettu, facilitating free Darshan, accommodation and food. The Sudarshan token, issued from various TTD-counters at Rs.50 was introduced to reduce waiting time by indicating a particular time when the pilgrim may enter the Vaikuntam Queue Complex. A Special Darshan is also available for the Physically Challenged, the Aged and infants, along with attendants, through a separate gate at the main temple entrance. E-Darshan counters are available in major cities from which bookings can be made 60 days in advance of the tour.
The seventh of the sacred hills (Tirumala) that houses the Venkateswara temple is known as Venkatachalam Hill and is the predominant part of all tours to Tirupati. It is located 12 kilometers northwest of Tirupati and is surrounded by hills of higher altitude. At the final leg of the tour to Tirumala are five different routes, two from Tirupati- a pathway built of steps and a motorway, a third from Chandragiri, a fourth from Mamandur Railway station and a fifth via Nagapatla.