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Hampi is a small village on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra river in the Hospet Taluk of the bellary District of Karnataka and is a well-known center of pilgrimage. The place has been identifid as a Kishkinda-kshetra of the Ramayanass. In historic times Hampi, as the seat of the Vijayanagara empire,was famed for its fabulous magnificence and for its protection and promotion of Hindu religion and culture. Hampi is situated in picturesque surroundings amidst striking and beautiful scenery depicting nature at its wildest and best. The site is naturally endowed with great strategic strenth. The wide, torrential almost unfordable Tungabhadra on the one hand and the impassable craggy hills and ranges with bare and denuded massive bouldres and tors on the other afford strong natural defances which the rulers used to the utmost advantage. These facts no doubt induced of Vijayanagara rulers to choose this site as their splendid imperial capital which was the admiration of the contemporary visitors. The city was called "Vijayanagara" or city of victory, or'Vidyanagara' in memory of the sage Vidyaranya who is said to have been mainly responible for the founding of the city. Hampi is also known as Pampa Kshetra,Now it is called as Hampi. Hampi was served as capital city of Vijayanagara Empire more over 200 years (around 1336 AD to 1565 AD). But Hampi fell to the Deccan Sultanates at the battel of Talikot in 1565AD. The sultans who were Vijayanagara's arch enemies razed the city to the ground and looted it for 6 months before abandoning it.