Kings Balance

Overview of King’s Balance

King’s Balance is one of the rarest monuments which is still intact in the city of ruins – Hampi. King’s Balance is literally an ancient balance scale used by the King of Vijayanagar. The alternative names of King’s Balance are Tula Purushadana and Tula Bhara. The rare balance scale is situated to the southwestern part of the Vittala Temple. King’s Balance stands at the end road to the Kampa Bhupa in Hampi. It is one of the top places to visit in Hampi as it retains almost all of its structure through the downfall of the Vijayanagar Kingdom. 

History of King’s Balance

The Tula Bhara was used actively during the 15th Century AD. The King’s Balance is attached with a captivating history with it. The history pages state that the Tula Bhara was only used during auspicious occasions in the Vijayanagar Kingdom. The festivals included Coronation ceremony, Dasara, New Year’s Day, Lunar or Solar Eclipse, and other significant days. On the special days, the King used to sit on one side of the balance and the other side was equally placed with gems, golds, silver, jewellery, and precious stones. After measuring the fair of the weight, the valuable goods were given away to priests of temples as a charity. 

The city council made sure that the King would weigh his maximum on those days therefore, the royal kitchen was used to cook his favorites fatty foods. In fact, his movements were also restricted so that there can be extra wealth given out to the charity. This monument holds the integrity of the Vijayanagar Kingdom which makes it a valuable visit to Hampi toursim. 

The architecture of King’s Balance

When you’ll visit the monument, you’ll witness the stunning archway carved with a huge stone. The pillars are constructed with granite stones and go as high as 15 feet. The pillars strongly support the heavy stone beam of length about 12 feet.  The pillars are engraved with scenes of the Vijayanagar Era. An image portrays the King and his two Queens standing beside him. If you want to relive the days of the Vijayanagar Empire, this monument is a worthy addition in your Hampi tour package.