Kan: ಹಂಪಿ hampi
‘Pampa’ Monument, Karnataka
From Pampa river.
In the epic Ramayana, the 531 km Tungabhadra River is called the Pampa. This name metamorphosed, in Kannada [p→h], to Hampa and was then anglicized to Hampi or Hampe.
Hampi was the 14thC capital of the Vijayanagara Empire at a time when it was the wealthiest city in India and one of the largest cities in the world.
The ruins of the city have made it one of the most important UNESCO World Heritage sites in India. They cover an area of 41 sq km and include temples, tanks, roads, an aqueduct, gateways and marketplaces, surrounded by granite boulders.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Karnataka place names.
Hampi: Vittala Temple, Kallina Ratha Arian Zwegers