With the locals reoccupying the ancient buildings lining the main street, Hampi Bazaar is once more a bustling village. With its ancient, roofless stalls it is a riot of colour on festive nights. The Virupaksha Temple located at the western end of the bazaar is one of the earliest structures in the city. The main shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Overlooking the temple to the south is the Hemakuta Hill, which has a scattering of early ruins including Jain temples and a monolith sculpture of Narasimha (Vishnu in his half-man half-lion incarnation).

Located 2km from the Hampi Bazaar, is this 16th century temple, by far the most amazing monument in Hampi. It is a World Heritage Monument having musical pillars. There is an ornate Stone Chariot in the temple courtyard whose wheels used to be capable of turning.

Sule Bazaar & Achyutaraya Temple - halfway between the Hampi Bazaar and the Vittala temple, a track leads to the deserted Sule Bazaar, which gives an idea of what Hampi Bazaar might have looked like if it had not been repopulated. Nearby is the Achyutaraya Temple located at the foot of the Matanga Hill.

It is a complex, which has various stonewalled enclosures having the rest of Hampi's major attractions like the Lotus Mahal and the Elephant Stables. The Lotus Mahal is a delicately designed pavilion in a walled compound known as the Zenana (Women's) Enclosure. It's an amazing synthesis of Hindu and Islamic styles. The Elephant Stables is a grand building with domed chambers that once housed the state elephants. There is the King's Balance, where kings were weighed against grain, gold or money, which was subsequently distributed to the poor. The Queen's Bath, an impressive structure, open to the sky, surrounded by a moat has arched corridors, projecting balconies and lotus-shaped fountains that once spouted perfumed water. A little away stands the crumbling watchtower, once guarded by eunuchs, from where the royal ladies could watch the festivities taking place.

This town is usually used as a base to explore the ruins at Hampi since it offers a variety of decent accommodations. It is a fairly typical Karnataka country town. The main bazaar is interesting to walk down, with old house & character.

The town comes alive during the Muslim festival of Muharram, which commemorates the martyrdom of Mohammed's grandson, Imam Hussain. The uniqueness of the festival here is that firewalkers can be seen walking barefoot across the red-hot embers of a fire that's been burning all day and night.