Hospet was built in 1520 AD by Krishna Deva Raya, one of the rulers of Vijayanagara Empire. He built the city to honour the memory of his mother Nagalambika. The city was originally named Nagalapura; however, people referred to the city as Hosa Pete, which meant “New City”. The area between Hampi and Hospet is still called Nagalapura. This was the main entrance to the city of Vijayanagara for travellers coming from Goa and the west coast.
Hospet, officially Hosapete, is District Headquarters of Vijayanagar District in central Karnataka, India. It is located on the Tungabhadra River, 12 km from Hampi. Hampi is a World Heritage site containing the ruins of the medieval city Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire.