Physical Features of Hampi

Hampi, a small village in the Karnataka State is situated on the banks of the river Tungabhadra and is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Hampi was once the capital of Vijayanagara Empire which is famous for its many monuments including temples and monolithic structures. Hampi even today in its ruined state exhibit its magnificent features and Hindu architectural culture. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been making hard work to refurbish the structures in Hampi. Hampi is a home for architecture and culture with lot of ancient temples and monuments.

Geographic Location of Hampi

Hampi is at a distance of about 350 km from Bangalore, 74 km from Bellary, 13 km from Hospet and 150 km from Hubli. Hampi is situated at an altitude of about 467 m above sea level with 15^o 19^' 60N Latitude and 76^o 28^' 0E Longitude.

Industries in Hampi

The major industries in Hampi are agriculture, mining and tourism. This region is blessed with rich mineral deposit like iron-ore and manganese. These rich minerals contributed a lot in the construction of the magnificent structures with beautiful architecture which were famous all over the world.

Mining

There are several mineral deposits like iron-ore and Manganese in this district and mining has been conducted for many number of years. Due to the boom for iron-ore in the international market, mining in this region shows an increased level. Hence many say that, this World Heritage Site at Hampi and the famous Tungabadra Dam is under Treat due to mining.

Agriculture

Agriculture was the main source of income for many families in this region and the River Tungabadra and Dam was the life-giving force of the city. Water from this dam is the main source for Agriculture which mainly includes growing Wheat, Rice, Ragi, Sugarcane, Pulses, Cotton, Tobacco, Onion and Ground Nut. There were also plantations growing Coconut, Betel and Areca.

Rivers in Hampi

Hampi is located in the path of the river, The River flowing in Hampi is the Tungabhadra River, which is one of the important river in south Indian region. It flows in the northwest direction and joins River Krishna, which ends into the Bay of Bengal. A large Tungabadra dam is constructed across the Tungabhadra River to cut down its force of flow in this area.

Usually the climate here is warm and dry where March to May (Summer) is the hottest months with maximum of 40^oC and most of the tourist don’t prefer to visit Hampi in this hot season. June to August (Monsoons) has wet weather with rainfall where rain lovers can enjoy but rain may interrupt the sightseeing, Rainfall here varies from 0.0 to 462.0 (mm/month). September to February (Winter) is considered to be pleasant and cool with less than 34^oC during day and night temperature can go as low as 12^oC and this is the best season to visit Hampi.