Manipuri is one of India's classical dance forms, from the northeastern state of Manipur, and its core theme is the divine love of Radha and Krishna. It grew from four older ritual traditions, including Lai Haraoba and Raas Leela, and took its classical shape in the 18th century under King Bhagyachandra, who codified the style and composed many dances. Performers move with gentle, circular motions and soft expressions, and the dancers wear the kumil, a tall mirror-studded skirt that makes them appear to float. After the British annexed Manipur in 1891, the dance was ridiculed and survived mainly in temples, before a revival in the 20th century helped by Rabindranath Tagore, who invited Manipuri teachers to his school at Shantiniketan.

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.