In 2023 India overtook China as the most populous country on Earth, according to UN World Population Prospects estimates. Both countries had around 1.4 billion people that year, roughly the same as the entire population of Africa. China's population has been shrinking in recent years after decades of strict family planning and a low birth rate, while India's population is still growing, though its birth rate has also been falling. The shift marks the end of a long period in which China held the top spot. Because population momentum carries forward, India is expected to remain the largest country for decades.

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.