In between the 14th and 17th centuries thrived the Vijayanagar Empire which was the bastion of Vaishnavism in the South of India. Today their capital Hampi , lies in ruins on the banks of the river Tungabhadra in Ballari District of the State of Karnataka.
Vijayanagar was the genesis of modern Karnataka. Three powerful dynasties, from the 14th to the 17th Centuries, revived Hindu control of southern Deccan and effected a revival: economic activity, trade with the Far East, Africa and Europe, the arts, literature and music. Accounts of the two Portuguese travellers, Domingo Paes and Fernao Nuniz, reveal a grandeur that matches everything people associate with the Mughals. Their capital at Hampi is an extraordinary township built over 10 kilometres on the banks of the Tungabhadra.
Amidst the ruins of Hampi still stand the temples with their majesty and grandeur ,the most important ones being the Virupaksha temple. There are also some Jain temples cluster with idols of Ganesha and Lakshmi Narasimha.
The Eastern end of Hampi has the temporal centre with palaces, court, Zananakhana and a victory platform.
The Vithala temple in Hampi is famous for its association with music. It is believed that Purandharadasa once sang and danced here. There is a whole building devoted to music next to the main temple. The columns of this temple produce accurate swarams when struck and others produce the sound of mrudangam.