Hampi is one of the most popular tourist places in India now and it's popularity is increasing with every day. It's one of the most popular weekend destination for folks living in Bengaluru. It's around 350 kilometers from Bangalore and also situated in Karnataka state in southern India. Virupaksha Temple is one of the parts of the group of Monuments at Hampi. Hampi is also a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site . Virupaksha is a form of Shiva and has other temples dedicated to him, notably at the Group of Monuments at Pattadakal.
Hampi is around the banks of Tungabhadra River in the ruins of the ancient city of Vijayanagar , which is capital of the Vijayanagara empire.
There is lot for travellers and architecture lovers to explore around this temple. Most of the folks take a walk around the river while exploring this part of Hampi.
This beautiful temple is fully intact amongst the surrounding ruins. People still come to the temple for worship. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. There is also a powerful Virupakshini amma temple (mother goddess) in a village called Nalagamapalle, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, which is located approximately 100 km from Tirupati.
In Karnataka, Virupaksha Temple is the main center of pilgrimage at Hampi and has been considered the most sacred sanctuary over the centuries.
Check out more about Virupaksha Temple at - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virupaksha_Temple