The palace of Vira Harihara was a colossal structure in the ancient town of Hampi. The palace is within the fortified area of the royal enclosure in Hampi. It was served as the abode for the kings of the Vijayanagara empire.
It is said that the palace was built by the king Harihara Raya II (1377-1404 CE), the third king of the Vijayanagara empire who ruled over the empire in the later part of the 14th century.
The architecture and beauty of the palace can only be imagined today as it was destroyed due to the destruction caused in Hampi during the ancient times. Today, there’s an ornate base of the palace present which provides an idea about the architecture of the lost structure.
As most of the structures in Hampi are filled with rich architectural beauty it indicates that the palace must have been a magnificent one in terms of splendor and construction. Interestingly, no trace of the walls of the palace could be found here today. Wood was quite prominent at the time in Hampi, hence wood was used in the construction of the palace and other structures of the royal enclosure. When the city was burnt, all the structures built with wood were burnt completely.
The original boundary wall of the palace is still visible, though most of it is in a ruined state. The main entrance of the palace is considered to be on the eastern side of the boundary wall which surrounds it.
Near the ornate base of the palace is an elevated structure with a dozen steps and it is said as the platform where the king used to get on the royal elephant. It has two protruding portions supported by ornate brackets. These two portions were used to handle two elephants at a time.
1 thought on “Royal palace Hampi”