Bengaluru’s Vijayanagar metro station now hosts the iconic replica of the Hampi car. | Photo credit: Nagesh Prabhu
People who have not seen the iconic stone chariot in front of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Vijaya Vittala Temple in Hampi can now view and click selfies with it at the Namma Metro station in Vijayanagar, Bengaluru.
As part of a beautification project, Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has installed a 300kg chariot on the first floor of the metro station.
From Hubballi
A Fibre-Reinforced Plastic (FRP) car by Srishti Arts, headed by Sumangala Bhat Hubballi, is parked at a metro station to showcase the art of architecture under the patronage of the Vijayanagara Empire (14th to 17th centuries).
The 7.5-foot-tall and 7.5-foot-wide car sits on a wooden platform. Passengers entering and leaving both sides of the station could see the car. Many passengers clicked selfies in front of the car.
Speaking to The Hindu, Sumangala Bhat of Srishti Arts said, “The Hampi Chariot sculpture is a testament to India’s glorious past and a celebration of our nation’s rich cultural heritage. We have painstakingly crafted the Hampi Chariot from FRP material.”
Collective work
“Namma Metro officials placed an order to create the car a few months ago. It took four to five artists about four months to complete the task,” she said. The car was manufactured at a workshop in Hubballi.
Srishti Arts, Hubballi, was also part of the beautification of MG Road and Bannigenahalli metro stations. It also beautified the railway stations at Badami, Dharwad, Bagalkot and Munirabad under the jurisdiction of South Western Railway.
Recently, Badami railway station installed arches and pillars representing the architectural heritage of the Badami Chalukya dynasty. The project was part of SWR’s modernization of railway stations and is expected to be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi practically soon.
Srishti’s art works are kept at Belagavi and Hubballi airports, the railway museum at Hubballi, Nampally railway station in Hyderabad and other places, she said.
Published – 18 Oct 2025 20:41 IST
