Archival Details
- Tradition: Vijayanagara
- Credit line: Ms Sarah Welch
- Source: Wikimedia Commons, accession File:15th century Kadalekalu Ganesha Temple, Hampi Hindu monuments Karnataka.jpg
The Vijayanagara empire (14th–17th century) was the last great Hindu empire of South India, ruling from its capital at Hampi in present-day Karnataka. Its temples, gateways, and monolithic sculpture — now preserved as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site — are known for massive scale, elaborate pillared mandapas, and a style blending Dravidian temple architecture with Deccan influences, developed across successive dynasties until the capital was sacked in 1565.
