Stone Chariot
The magnificent city of ruins, Hampi is a World Heritage centre. This erstwhile capital of the Vijayanagar Empire boasts of some exquisite examples of architecture of that period. The most splendid monument of Hampi is undoubtedly the famous Stone Chariot.
The stone chariot is very famous. Its stone wheels, each shaped in the form of a lotus, are capable of revolving. It represents the sparkling creativity of the artists of the fifteenth century. Temple chariots are often mobile reproductions of a temple. This demonstrates the static version of the mobile temple chariot.
Beside it, stands the great mandapa. It rests on a richly sculpted basement and its roofs are supported by huge pillars of granite, about 15 feet in height. These pillars consist of the central pillar surrounded by detached shafts, all cut from one single block of stone. Many of the carved pillars were attached in such a way that they are nothing more than shapeless blocks of stones.
