In Indian geography, the UNESCO World Heritage “Group of Monuments at Hampi” is located in which Indian state?

Introduction / Context:
Hampi is one of the most important archaeological and cultural sites in India. It represents the remains of the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire and has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many competitive exams in India test whether candidates know in which state this monumental complex is situated, because it connects history, tourism and basic map work in Indian geography.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question mentions the “Group of Monuments at Hampi”.
It asks for the Indian state in which these monuments are located.
Four possible states are given: West Bengal, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
We assume the usual Indian political map, with current state boundaries, is being used for this general knowledge question.

Concept / Approach:
The concept here is simple location based geography. Many heritage sites are associated with particular states, and remembering them helps in map based questions. The Group of Monuments at Hampi is historically linked to the Vijayanagara Empire, whose core region lay in the southern Deccan. Specifically, Hampi lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the present day state of Karnataka. So the approach is to recall this association and then eliminate the other options that do not match that known fact.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in south India.Step 2: Remember that Hampi is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the state of Karnataka.Step 3: Compare this information with the options West Bengal, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.Step 4: Conclude that Karnataka is the only option that correctly matches the known location of Hampi.

Verification / Alternative check:
Another way to verify is to remember that Hampi is close to the city of Hospet and the town of Ballari (Bellary), both of which are well known locations in Karnataka. Many tourism brochures and school atlases label Hampi clearly within Karnataka s boundaries. No standard source places Hampi in West Bengal, Gujarat or Tamil Nadu, so cross checking with even a simple map confirms that Karnataka is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
West Bengal is located in eastern India and is famous for sites like the Sunderbans and Victoria Memorial, not Hampi.
Gujarat is in western India and has heritage sites such as Champaner Pavagadh and Rani ki Vav, but Hampi is not there.
Tamil Nadu is in the far south and has monuments like the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur and the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, but not Hampi.
Therefore, these three states do not match the known location of the Group of Monuments at Hampi.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse different UNESCO sites such as Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu or Champaner Pavagadh in Gujarat with Hampi in Karnataka, because all of them are ancient temple or fort complexes. Another error is to assume that any famous temple site in the south might be in Tamil Nadu, since Tamil Nadu has many temples, but in this case that assumption is incorrect. Carefully linking each site to its correct state is essential for avoiding such confusion in examinations.

Final Answer:
The Group of Monuments at Hampi is located in the state of Karnataka.