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1. PROJECT INITIATION

The capital of Vijayanagara Empire during 13th to 15th century, now known as Hampi is a

Thesis Report V-SPARC VIT

Fig 1. Location of Anegundi

Fig 2. Old Hampi Fig 3. Present day Hampi

historical town located in the Indian state of Karnataka, along the banks of the river

Tungabhadra. It is around 350 Kms from the state capital- Bangalore. This town is rich in its
natural landscapes- the hillocks and the river, architectural evidences of human

intelligence, mythological values, cultural practices, and most importantly the people. This
wealthy, grand and one of the largest established towns of that era was left in ruins by the

Muslim Sultanates in the year 1565 [Fig. 2]. Later, Hampi was recognised as a World Heritage

Site by UNESCO in the year 1986 [Fig. 3], and as the Best Tourism Village in the recent year
of 2023. Several organisations protecting and preserving the heritage of Hampi include

HWHAMA, INTACH, ASI, the local governing bodies, NGOs, NPOs and communities.

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