Gagan Mahal, Anegundi

Gagan Mahal, also called the Old Palace, stands in Anegundi, the village across the Tungabhadra from Hampi. Thought to date from the 16th century, it was built as a home for the Vijayanagara royal family and is believed to have held the queens' quarters. The fall of the empire in 1565 ended its days as a royal seat, and the building now serves as an office of the local administration.

The design is Indo-Islamic, with four towers, ornamented balconies and arched windows, and the walls are washed in yellow ochre. Gagan means sky, a name sometimes tied to the views through its arches and to the fact that the palace has no roof. Inside is a Durbar Hall with richly carved wooden pillars, and the grounds once had gardens, a pool, fountains and water channels that helped keep the rooms cool in summer.