Hampi Comes Live

Zenana Enclosure !!

 Northeast of the Royal Cent is the Zenana Enclosure. Its peaceful grounds and manicured lawns feel like an oasis amid the arid surrounds. Here are the Lotus Mahal and Elephant Stables. This was an area for the royal women i.e. the Queen and her companions.  It was a place where only women could enter and had been built to protect their privacy rather than safety. 

During ancient times, this site served as a summer palace for the queens because of numerous openings. The Queen's Palace measures 46 x 29 metres and has been constructed using wood and other non-durable material.
According to historians, the Zenana Enclosure was reserved for women only, this site was guarded by soldiers. The two buildings that had been placed in the south-east and north of the Zenana Enclosure served as watchtowers. These were used by the queen and her royal friends to observe the activities happening outside. The beautiful Lotus Palace, which is a blend of Indo-Islamic architectural style ( Lime plaster + Stucco jewels), is a two-storeyed arched pavilion that acted as a meeting place for royal women. It is believed that every wall and pillar was once adorned by such ornamentation, but no traces remain of these.

 

Tourists visiting the Zenana Enclosure can go to the Elephant Stables that are located behind the site, where royal elephants rested.

There are three watch towers in this enclosure, which are, interestingly, free standing, and not attached to the walls, indicating that they were built at a later date.

Another structure nearby has been considered as either the mahouts chambers or maybe guards quarters. Today, it is a flower garden and more like a museum displaying sculptures found in this enclosure. 

Present Condition of the Zenana Enclosure, Hampi The Zenana Enclosure has some ruined buildings and a few undamaged structures. The surrounding wall of the enclosure is in a ruined state. The watch towers are in a ruined state, but at least one can be manage to reach the top. However, the one structure that is in an almost intact condition is the Lotus Mahal. It is not only the main attraction of the Zenana Enclosure, but also one of the most beautiful structures found among the ruins in Hampi