Maharashtra State PSC Model Paper 5

The correct answer is Both 1 and 2.

• Hampi is located in the Krishna-Tungabhadra basin, which formed the nucleus of the Vijayanagara Empire, founded in 1336. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• The magnificent ruins at Hampi reveal a well-fortified city. No mortar or cementing agent was used in the construction of these walls and the technique followed was to wedge them together by interlocking.
• Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in east-central Karnataka. Hence statement 2 is also correct.

The architecture of Hampi-

• The buildings in the royal complex had splendid arches, domes and pillared halls with niches for holding sculptures.
• They also had well-planned orchards and pleasure gardens with sculptural motifs such as the lotus and corbels. In its heyday in the fifteenth sixteenth centuries, Hampi bustled with commercial and cultural activities
• Moors (a name used collectively for Muslim merchants), Chettis and agents of European traders such as the Portuguese, thronged the markets of Hampi. Temples were the hub of cultural activities and devadasis (temple dancers) performed before the deity, royalty and masses in the many-pillared halls in the Virupaksha (a form of Shiva) temple.
• The Mahanavami festival, known today as Navaratri in the south, was one of the most important festivals celebrated at Hampi.