The erstwhile Capital of Vijayanagara Empire - Hampi, takes you through the pages of history, since 14th Century. Each deformed stone sculpture has a great story to narrate, no wonder this happens to be the World Heritage Centre. Hampi was founded by the Hindu Vijayanagar dynasty in 1336 AD, and quickly became one of, if not THE, most brilliant capital in all India. At its apogee, its population numbered in the hundreds of thousand and it spread over 30 square kilometers!! When four Muslim sultans of the Deccan, unable to bear any longer the arrogance of the Hindu Raja united to take it, it fell after the battle of Talikota in 1565. The Hindu host is said to have numbered 600,000 foot soldiers, 100,000 horses and nearly 1000 elephants! All for naught! The sack of the city lasted for five months, and the heat of the fire is said to have cracked the huge basaltic rock hills scattered all over! Never perhaps in history had such havoc been wrought on so splendid a city, wealthy and prosperous one day, and on the next, seized, pillaged and reduced to ruins, amid scenes of savage massacre and horrors beggaring description (Sewell). Today, all that remains are many perfectly preserved temples dedicated to the myriad gods of the Hindu pantheon, parts of SEVEN huge rings of fortifications, elephant stables for eleven, gorgeous kingly dwellings and a village bazaar. For three centuries, the city had lain forgotten when an Englishman started restoration works in 1837. But it was after years of work by a French couple in this century that the UNESCO finally classified it in 1987!