Archeological Museum, Hampi - Timings, Entry Fee, History & Artifacts

At a distance of 300 m from Kamalapur Bus Stand and 4 km from Hampi Bus Stand, The Archaeological Museum at Kamalapur is dedicated to the ruins of Hampi and surrounding places.

The sculptures from various locations of the Hampi ruins were collected by British officers and housed earlier at elephant stables. The first museum of Archaeological Survey of India was established here in 1972. The antiquities were shifted to a modern building at Kamalapur. This museum exhibits elegant replicas of Krishnadevaraya and his queens greeting the visitors at the entrance. The Museum houses a large collection of sculptures and artifacts spread across four galleries.

The first gallery of the museum contains two scaled models of Hampi along with all historical monuments. The larger model presents a complete topography of the region along with the monuments and temples located on it. It also displays the hills and rivers in Hampi. It provides an excellent idea about the various attractions and their relative locations in Hampi, while the smaller one gives a comprehensive view of the Royal Enclosure.

The second gallery displays sculptures of Shaiva faith consisting of Virabhadra, Bhairava, Bhikshatanamurti, Mahishasuramardini, Shakti, Ganesha, Kartikeya with his consorts and Durga. The central hall has a temple like structure with the display of Shivalinga, Nandi, and Gateway.

The third gallery of the museum contains an amazing collection of armory, copper plate grants, metal objects of religious utility and brass plates. In the display are the coins of Vijayanagara dynasty in various denominations of both gold and copper.

The fourth gallery has antiquities pertaining to pre-vijayanagara period. The objects displayed in this section are the oldest of all exhibits in the museum. The exhibits of this section also include hero stones, sati stones, stucco figurines, parts of porcelain pottery excavated from the sites of the ruins and a huge collection of excavation photographs. All archeological material excavated during the period 1976 to 1998 are kept on display.

Entry Fee: Rs. 5 for person.

Timings: 10 AM -5 PM on all days except Fridays and on National Holidays.