2-359-525 - Vivienne Sharp/Heritage Images

Vitthala Temple, Hampi, Karnataka, India. Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire that ruled southern India from 1336 until the mid 16th century. It is noted for the architecture of its Hindu temples. The city was pillaged and abandoned after it fell to the Muslim Deccan Sultanates in 1565. The Vitthala Temple was begun in the 15th century.