Stone Chariot Vittala Temple, Hampi

The ancient town of Hampi, located along the river Tungabhadra (Pampa) was once at the core of the mighty Vijayanagar kingdom (14th-16th century AD), in South India. It is dominated by carved stone architecture like the Virupaksha and Vittala temples. It also contains the ruins of a once thriving urban centre and a royal enclosure. It is considered to be the mythical monkey kingdom of Kishkindha mentioned in an ancient Hindu epic, the Ramayana.
 
This intricately carved stone chariot in the Vittala Temple complex is actually a secondary shrine dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu’s celestial mount, the winged man-bird Garuda.