Traditionally known as Pampakshetra of Kishkindha, Hampi is situated on the southern bank of the River Tungabhadra in Karantaka, India. The austere, grandiose site of Hampi was the last capital of the last great Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagara. Its fabulously rich princes built Dravidian temples and palaces, which won the admiration of travellers between the 14th and 16th centuries.

Temples of Hampi are noted for their large dimensions, florid ornamentation, bold and delicate carvings, stately pillars, magnificent pavilions and a great wealth of iconographic and traditional depictions, which include subjects from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Conquered by the Deccan Muslim confederacy in 1565, the city was pillaged over a period of six months before being abandoned.