Anegundi Heritage Village

Anegundi Heritage Village is a historic settlement on the northern bank of the Tungabhadra River in Koppal district, Karnataka, opposite the Hampi World Heritage Site. Believed to be the ancient Kishkindha of the Ramayana and the early capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, it retains fort walls, temples, traditional houses and rural landscapes. The village is noted for its archaeological remains, mythological associations and preserved vernacular heritage within the Hampi cultural landscape.

Visitors can expect a rural heritage village with narrow lanes, traditional flat-roofed houses, fort walls and gateways, small temples and shrines, and agricultural fields along the Tungabhadra River. The setting is quiet and rustic opposite Hampi, with views of boulder-strewn hills, paddy fields and banana plantations. Visitors can explore heritage walks through the village core, visit temples and historic structures, interact with local craftspeople, and take coracle rides on the river. The area is spread out and best explored on foot or by bicycle/auto-rickshaw.

Anegundi is identified with ancient Kishkindha mentioned in the Ramayana and served as an early capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century before the capital shifted to Hampi (Vijayanagara) on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra. The village retains fortifications, temples and archaeological remains from the Vijayanagara period and earlier, and forms part of the Hampi World Heritage cultural landscape.

The village holds religious significance linked to the Ramayana tradition, with nearby Anjanadri Hill revered as the birthplace of Hanuman and Pampa Sarovar as a sacred lake. It preserves living rural traditions, vernacular architecture, local crafts and festivals, and is promoted as a heritage village showcasing the intangible cultural heritage of the Tungabhadra region.