Psychological trauma is an emotional response to severe, distressing events such as serious injury, sexual violence, the death of a loved one, or disasters. Short-term reactions include shock and denial. Longer-term effects can include flashbacks, insomnia, relationship difficulties and post-traumatic stress disorder. Most people who experience a potentially traumatic event do not become traumatised, though they may still suffer. Differences in temperament, environment, resilience and willingness to seek help help explain why some people develop lasting effects and others do not. Watching distressing news can cause stress, though it does not always produce trauma.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.