Lakshmi Narasimha Temple

The statue lies in the Lakshmi Narasimha temple that was constructed in the year 1528, during the reign of Krishnadevaraya, one of the rulers of Vijayanagara Empire. Lord Narasimha and his consort, Goddess Lakshmi are the presiding deities of this temple.

Originally, the statue also had a small statue of the Goddess, sitting on his lap. But during the raid by the Mughals in 1565, the statue was highly damaged and disfigured. At the time of the attack the limbs of the statue were also broken and the statue of the Goddess was separated from the main sculpture. Also, one hand of the Goddess’ statue was also broken and this hand can be seen today at the back of the statue of the Lord. This damaged statue of the Goddess today is kept at the Archaeological Museum in Kamalapura.

An architectural masterpiece, the Lakshmi Narasimha statue is 6.7 meters in height and has been crafted with amazing details. It is one of the best works that were done in the Vijayanagara style of architecture. The status lies between an arch or Makara torana.

The statue of Lord Narasimha has a clearly-designed mane and wonderfully-shaped broad chest. A well-designed headgear adorns the statue that is seated in a cross-legged position. The statue is seated on the soils of seven-hooded holy snake, Adishesha, who is known to be the King of snakes. The hoods of the snake make a canopy on the head of the Lord. On the hood of the snake, a lion mask has been placed.

The protruding and angry eyes of the statue are its important feature and the statue an imposing aura. This huge statue has been carved one single boulder of granite stone and a wonderful piece of craftsmanship.

The temple is placed in the middle of the main road which connects the Sacred Center to the Royal Center.

Hampi is a world famous tourist destination that draws visitors from far and near. There are several ways to reach Hampi from various towns and cities of Karnataka and beyond. The location of Lakshmi Narasimha statue, based on the southern side of the Hemakuta group of temples, is a well-known spot in Hampi and is easily accessible from all parts of the ruined town.

By Air- Hampi is an ancient village with no airport of its own. Ballari (Bellary) is the closest town that has an airport. Ballary stands at a distance of around 64 km from Hampi. Visitors can take a flight to Ballari and then reach Hampi by means of local transport.

By Rail- Hampi is a place that is devoid of a railway station. The nearest railway station is situated in the city of Hospet. It has the Hospet Junction Railway Station. Hospet is at a distance of around 10 km from Hampi. One of the simple ways to reach Hampi from Hospet is to travel through a bus. Other means of local transport are also available for visitors to reach Hampi from Hospet.

By Road- Hampi has a strong road network and is connected to a number of towns and cities by means of this network. There are a lot of buses that travel between Hampi and several other towns and cities in Karnataka. Visitors can also hire private cars, cabs or other vehicles from big cities like Bengaluru (Bangalore) or Mysuru (Mysore) to travel to Hampi.