I couldn’t resist. I’ve posted pictures (and a story in Dutch) of Hampi before but today I edited these two again using Photomatix Pro and  Snapseed. These aren’t HDR, at the time (2009) I wasn’t aware of this option but I ran the photo’s through Photomatix for the tonemapping features.

Hampi is a small ‘holy’ village in Kartataka, India. The surroundings are amazing between the vivid green rice fields and the red rocks scattered throughout the landscape. There are a lot of abandoned and used temple’s surrounding the village what once was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire.

What Wikipedia says about the Vijayanagara Empire:

The Vijayanagara Empire referred to as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South India, in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts by the southern powers to ward off Islamic invasions by the end of the 13th century. It lasted until 1646 although its power declined after a major military defeat in 1565 by the Deccan sultanates. The empire is named after its capital city of Vijayanagara, whose ruins surround present day Hampi, now a World Heritage Site inKarnataka, India.^[1] The writings of medieval European travelers such as Domingo Paes, Fernão Nunesand Niccolò Da Conti, and the literature in local languages provide crucial information about its history. Archaeological excavations at Vijayanagara have revealed the empire’s power and wealth.

The empire’s legacy includes many monuments spread over South India, the best known of which is the group at Hampi. The previous temple building traditions in South India came together in the Vijayanagara Architecture style. The mingling of all faiths and vernaculars inspired architectural innovation of Hindutemple construction, first in the Deccan and later in the Dravidian idioms using the local granite. Secular royal structures show the influence of the Northern Deccan Sultanate architecture. Efficient administration and vigorous overseas trade brought new technologies such as water management systems for irrigation. The empire’s patronage enabled fine arts and literature to reach new heights in the languages of Kannada,Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit, while Carnatic music evolved into its current form. The Vijayanagara Empire created an epoch in South Indian history that transcended regionalism by promoting Hinduism as a unifying factor.