An elegant row of 11 domed chambers built to house the royal elephants of the Vijayanagara court. Each chamber has its own entrance arch and a different style of dome — alternating between ribbed, ribless, and recessed designs — which gives the structure an unexpectedly varied rhythm as you walk along its length. The blending of Hindu corbelling and Islamic arched styles in a single building is unusual for the period and reflects the cosmopolitan character of Vijayanagara's court.
The stables form part of the royal enclosure complex alongside the Lotus Mahal and Zenana Enclosure. They are one of the most photogenic structures in Hampi — the play of light and shadow across the arched facades is particularly good in the morning. The compound in front of the stables would have been used for the elephant ceremonies that were a central part of the empire's public ceremonial life.