Hampi in Pictures II

The Lotus Mahal was home to four of the king's favourite wives and was part of the zenana

Featuring one of the earliest examples of air conditioning in India, the palace was supplied by water from a neighbouring pond which ran through pipes hidden in the walls, keeping it cool during the summer

A watchtower at the zenana

The elephants' stables were located behind the Lotus Mahal. They were only brought out during festivals

The Queen's Bath. Tour guides say the name is self-explanatory, but in reality this was a pleasure centre where the King would meet his wives and ladies from his harem for a bit of fun

A moat filled with crocodiles kept prying eyes away

The central pond was supplied by an aquaduct and was scented year round with essential oils and rose petals

Another example of Mughal architecture

The walk up to Virupaksha, Hampi's largest functioning temple

The Hazara Rama temple. The walls depict sculptures that tell the story of the Ramayana

The Krishna Temple. One of the sanctums was extremely eerie and I stepped out as soon as I entered

The drive up to the Vittala Temple

The famous stone chariot, synonymous with images of Hampi

I have no idea what this is but I had to put it up!

Hampi in Pictures I

The first of the many temples that dot the landscape

The building on the left was once a mosque, while the one on the right was called the Muhammadan watchtower - evidence that the Hindu rulers and the Mughals did once coexist here, even if tenuously

The watchtower

A break in the wall to the left of the mosque

The view through the wall

The outermost sanctum of the underground Shiva Temple

I was too scared to go in alone so she guided me through the temple into the innermost sanctum; dark, damp and overrun by bats

Little girl outside the temple

Lakshmi Narasimha Temple. Narasimha means half-man, half-lion in Sanskrit

Living in urban India, it's easy to forget how colourful the country really is

Hampi is the site of the mythological kingdom Kishkinda, where the Hindu god Hanuman is said to have been born. The place is still overrun by monkeys today