Hampi Archaeological Museum

The Archaeological Museum at Kamalapura is the principal museum for the Hampi World Heritage Site in Vijayanagara District, Karnataka. Maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India, it houses artefacts excavated from Vijayanagara, the 14th-16th century capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Its four galleries display sculptures, inscriptions, coins, bronzes, stucco figures and a large scale model of the Hampi valley, providing historical context for the surrounding ruins.

Visitors can expect a compact, well-organized museum with four galleries surrounding a central courtyard. Exhibits include stone sculptures of Hindu deities, hero stones, sati stones, copper plates, coins, bronze images, stucco figures from temples, prehistoric tools and a detailed scale model of the Hampi ruins. The museum is set in Kamalapura, about 3 km from Hampi Bazaar, with landscaped grounds and outdoor stone sculptures. It serves as an introductory orientation before visiting the main Hampi monuments.

The museum is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India to preserve and display antiquities recovered from systematic excavations at Hampi, the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire (14th-16th century). Established in 1972 and housed in its present building since 1987, it documents the art, architecture, epigraphy and daily life of one of South India's largest medieval empires, whose ruins are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The museum showcases the artistic and cultural achievements of the Vijayanagara period, including Hindu temple sculpture, bronze iconography, inscriptions and architectural elements. It provides cultural context for the sacred and royal centre at Hampi and helps visitors understand the religious traditions, craftsmanship and urban planning of the Vijayanagara era.