After visit to Hampi, VP Naidu pitches for making youngsters aware of India's cultural heritage

 

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday emphasised the need to make youngsters aware of the country’s glorious past and rich cultural heritage. He also said stories of great kings like Krishnadevaraya should be included in history books prominently so as to inspire the younger generation.

In a Facebook post after visiting Hampi, the seat of the erstwhile Vijayanagara empire in Ballari district of Karnataka, the vice president said the historical site reminds people of the rich and vibrant past. “I would like to urge all educational institutions to organise students’ tours to places of historical prominence to enable them to be better acquainted with our rich and glorious heritage,” he said.

Praising the grandeur and magnificence of the UNESCO World Heritage site, Naidu said the visit filled him with a sense of pride about the vision and skills of our ancestors. The Vijayanagara empire, which was found by two brothers Harihara Raya-I and Bukka Raya-I between the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers in 1336, reached its golden age under the reign of the powerful king, Krishnadevaraya.

During this period, trade across the globe expanded and music, dance, literature, painting, sculpture and architecture saw a new high, leaving behind an indelible imprint in the sands of time. “It was during this period that Telugu literature flourished reaching glorious heights and Vijayanagara became the most renowned metropolises of medieval India,” the vice president wrote.

The remains of the forts, palaces, temples and market places bear testimony to the glory of the Vijayanagara empire, he said, adding that each monument at Hampi has a certain uniqueness that leaves one mesmerised and reflects its majestic cultural greatness.