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In New York Times’ 52 Must-Visit Places, Karnataka’s Hampi Ranks Second
Illuminated stone chariot in Vittala Temple, Hampi. (Photo by Gireesh Gv/The India Today Group/Getty Images)
New York Times’ new list of 52 places that a person must visit has Karnataka’s Hampi, the heritage city, at number two, right after Puerto Rico, which emerged first in the list. Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage site that is one of the biggest tourist attractions in India.
Once a glorious empire ruled by the Hindu Vijayanagara dynasty in the 14th century, Hampi lies in ruins today, although, well preserved. Falling in Ballari district of the state, Hampi ruins is spread across an area of 4,100 hectares and has over 1,000 well-preserved monuments.
Many attractions like the Virupaksha Temple have been well described in the chronicles written by Persian and European travellers back in the day. It is said to have been a prosperous and a wealthy empire with the subjects being very well off. The empire was then defeated by a coalition of Muslim sultans in 1565 and many monuments were destroyed.
Time and again, Hampi has continued to remain one of the most popular destinations for domestic and international travellers.
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