The Royal Palace (Lotus Mahal, Elephant Stables) in Hampi, plus a stunning viewpoint

 


The Royal Palace is a quite small site, but you could add a little hike to a nearby hilltop shrine to have fantastic views of the whole Royal Enclosure. The most notable buildings in the Royal Palace, surrounded by high walls and watchtowers, is the Lotus Mahal and the Elephant Stables. You need a ticket to enter this part, but the same ticket allows you to visit the Vijaya Vitthala Temple with the Stone Chariot. The two sites are relatively far apart, and you need time to get to them and explore them, so plan accordingly!

Route map 

See routes in Google Maps

After buying the ticket, you can enter the Royal Palace, protected by high walls and watchtowers.













The Lotus Mahal.








The Elephant Stables and the Guards House.















The path behind the Elephant Stables passes a few temples.











Sringarada Hebbagilu was once a big gate to the Royal Palace, containing rooms and temples.










The path to the north, towards the hills, leads to a gate.




The path to the hilltop starts outside, opposite the gate.









Temple.








Rock with Hanuman carving.






Shrines atop a pile of boulders.





























Returning to the gate and re-entering the Royal Palace compound.




A path leads through the bushes back to the Elephant Stables.





Leaving the walled compound of the Royal Palace.




 

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