The Ancient bridge of Hampi is believed to have existed behind the Vittala Temple, lying to the south of the Purandaradasa Mantapa. There are innumerable structures in Hampi. Most of them are in a ruined state.
A few of the structures have managed to survive in a good condition till date. But there are some sites in Hampi that attract visitors even though the structures are so badly ruined that they are as good as non-existent. The Ancient Bridge in Hampi is one such structure.
History of the Ancient Bridge, Hampi
The Ancient bridge of Hampi is believed to have been constructed by Kampabupa in the 14th century. Kampabupa was the brother of the king Harihara II, the emperor of the Vijayanagara kingdom from 1377 to 1404.
Kampabupa had built several structures, out of which this bridge was one. The bridge served as a useful structure during the Vijayanagara Empire.
Ancient Hampi Bridge, Photographer Somsubhra Sharangi
The long lost Ancient Bridge of Hampi
The Ancient Bridge of Hampi is a lost structure and is in a state of complete ruins. The only remnant of the huge structure is the stone pillars meant for supporting the top of the bridge. This bridge was originally built to connect the principality of Anegondi on the north bank of Tungabhadra River to the town of Hampi.
In the recent times there has been a demand to reconstruct the bridge to serve as an overpass for the tourists.
The unique construction technique of the Ancinet Bridge, Hampi
According to the historians studying the ruins of Hampi, the construction of the bridge was carried out after complete planning. The location of the bridge played an important role in its construction.
The bridge was built at a point where the River Tungabhadra bifurcates and the rejoins again. The result of the bifurcation was the formation of a tiny rocky island. The ancient bridge ran through this island.
This particular location was mainly selected for the bridge as the structure could not have been possibly built on the rocky bed of the torrential river. The pillars were erected at one branch of the river after blocking the flow of water through it. All the water was allowed to pass through the other branch. Later, the other branch was also constructed by following the same technique.
How to reach the Ancient Bridge
The remnants of the Ancient Bridge manage to draw a lot of tourists even today. Visitors on the Hampi trail can easily reach the site of the bridge by accessing local means of transport.
By Air
Visitors who wish to reach Hampi by air can take a flight to the nearest airport at Bellary. The airport is situated at a distance of about 64 km from Hampi. The airports at Belgaum (190 km) and Bangalore (353 km) are other options for the visitors to reach Hampi by air. They will be able to avail other modes of local transport to reach Hampi from the airports.
By Rail
If a visitor wants to reach Hampi by rail, the nearest station is located at Hospet. Hampi can be easily reached from Hospet by road as there are frequent buses that ply between the two towns. There are also other local means of transport that connect Hospet to Hampi.
By Road
The road network connected to Hampi is very good. Hampi is well connected to several towns and cities by the road network. There are several buses that connect Hampi to the nearby places. Private cars and vehicles can be hired from Bangalore or Mysore to reach Hampi.
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