Chakra Tirtha and Koti Tirtha

About this place

Chakra Tirtha and Koti Tirtha together form one of the holiest stretches of the Tungabhadra in Hampi. At Chakra Tirtha the river turns sharply between Matanga Hill and Rishyamukha Hill, narrowing into a channel whose currents can form a visible swirl — the 'chakra' or sacred wheel that gives the spot its name. Pilgrims have bathed here for centuries before visiting the nearby Kodandarama Temple, and stone ghats, coracle landings and long riverside pavilions line the bank. A short scramble upstream leads to Koti Tirtha, where Vijayanagara-era sculptors carved dense grids of lingas — the Kotilingeswara or 'crore of lingas' — directly into the granite shelf above the water. The linga fields are partly submerged in monsoon and fully exposed only when the river runs low, but even from the path the scale of the carving is striking. Strong currents make swimming unsafe; visit in daylight and keep to the marked riverside track.