Hampi Krishna Temple

This temple was built by Krishnadevaraya in 1513 AD to celebrate victory over Udayagiri (Orissa).

This is one of the must-see sites in Hampi. The carvings are especially spectacular with the Yalis (the mythical lion) on the pillars and the entrances to the temple hall flanged with impressive carvings of elephant railings.

The main tower at the east is an impressive sight with numerous carvings on it (now the tower is under restoration work). You can see the carvings of the 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu in this temple. This is one of the few temples where the epic stories carved on the walls of the tower. This is fairly an intact specimen of a Vijayanagara era temple.

The main temple hall The main road to Hampi passes through the temple campus. You can spot a small pavilion with a rectangular stone container in front of the temple across the road. This was used to store grains for the ritual purpose in the temple festivals. The position and design of the vessel suggests devotees used to donate food grain as offering at the temple.

The long pavilions were shops in the market street. . Said to be one of the ancient bazaars, where traders from across the country sold their wares, it is amazing to see how well planned it was, and how much of it survives after centuries.