Usually, November sees a lot of action take place at the otherwise-desolate city of Hampi located within the ruins of Vijayanagara, at a distance of approximately 353 kms from Bangalore. The Hampi / Vijaya Utsav, organised by the Government of Karnataka, highlights the rich culture of Kannadigas in the fields of dance, music and art against a perfect backdrop: the gorgeous carved ruins.

However, this year the fest took place in January, to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Sri Krishna Deva Raya, the most important ruler of the Vijayanagara kingdom.

If you missed this fest, we suggest you pre-book your dates for the next one, slotted to be in January 2011. Let the soothing strings of Classical music accompanied by graceful dances transpose you to a bygone era.

Witness the play of bright, coloured leather puppets and decorated elephants, horses and men dressed in the military fashion of yore. The 2011 Fest should see the start of 'Hampi by Night' where the magnificent ruins of this World Heritage Site will be illuminated in a sound-and-light show.

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Tourism/Hampi