File:15th-16th century Vishnu avatar Yogananda Narasimha man lion avatar of Vishnu, Hampi Hindu monuments Karnataka 1.jpg

English: About 6.7 meters (~ 22 feet) high man-lion avatar of Vishnu statue is in a damaged shrine near the Bala Krishna temples complex. The roof and structure of the shrine were destroyed, while attempts to damage the statue with fire is evidenced by the black fir stain marks below the statue. The image's hands are ruined as is the statue of Lakshmi who sat in his lap but whose jewelry has partially survived. The Narasimha face remains intact, he is seated in a Vaishnava yoga meditative posture (Yogananda Guru). The statue was carved in situ from a monolith rock by its creative artists.

Hampi ruins and monuments date to pre-17th century period of South Indian history, particularly those related to the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire era (14th-16th centuries). The site consists of numerous ruins and temples over a large area, the most visited and studied are those located near the Tungabhadra river.

The town derives its name from the Pampa Devi Hindu mythology in Sanskrit, with Pampa morphing into Hampa in Kannada, then Hampi. The city served as capital of the Vijayanagara rulers, was pillaged, ruined and abandoned after Muslim armies of a Sultanate coalition attacked and defeated it. In the modern era, it serves as an archaeological site and is a UNESCO world heritage site.