This erstwhile Vijaynagar Empire has cast a spell on me for years now. The first time I visited, I was engulfed by a déjà vu, almost like my past life had finally caught up with me. How else was it possible to feel so much nostalgia for a land I never knew? With time it has been replaced by an unexplainable sense of belongingness.
Hampi is believed to have been greater than even Rome,once one of the richest cities in the world with a population of over half a million. Destiny spares nobody and in the later part of the 16th century, hundreds of years of splendor and civilization were wiped to destruction by Mughal invaders. It’s a wonder how God allowed it. The ruins are so spectacular; it makes one wonder how majestic this place might have been before the obliteration! Today, all that remains is a thousand people reliving the lost glory, rustic ruins that bear testimonial to its times of yore and recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first settlement in Hampi dates back to 1st century and Buddhist sites belonging to that time have been found nearby. The Vijayanagar Empire spanned four dynasties and stretched over states of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.
The best time to visit Hampi would be between October and March, but I love Hampi in the monsoons too! Mayura Bhubaneshwari is the usual choice; however there are a host of other lodging options in all budgets. We had a very bad experience with Mayura Bhubaneshwari on our last trip. They charged us a higher amount for basic rooms promising to move us to better rooms in the night but that didn’t happen and they refused to give us a refund!
You can either hire mopeds, bikes or cycles to get around the place. We drove around this time but I absolutely loved the moped rides from my earlier trip…wind in my face, beautiful boulder strewn landscape and surviving reminders of the passage of history.
Vijayanagara architecture is a combination of religious,civil and military architecture. It is to believe to be Indo- Sarasanic in nature.Most of my favourite places in Hampi come under the sacred centre.The main pilgrimage centre is the 12-storied, 15th century Virupaksha temple that happens to also be the tallest structure. It arises majestically above the innumerable ramshackled mandapams nearby. Saunter past Hampi Bazaar, you’ll notice that some of these are even converted into houses, dilapidated and draped in poverty yet cacophonously charming. Once you get to the foothills of Matanga Hill, as you climb those primeval steps past the monolithic Nandi and Sugreeva’s cave you’ll come to my single most favorite spot in the whole of Hampi. There is nothing more magical than sitting atop those rocks and admiring the Achyutaraya Temple complex and courtesans street from up above. I’m always transported back in time.
Hemakuta Hill houses pre-Vijayanagar temples dating back to the 9th century and two large monolithic Ganesha statues that look particularly charming, all lit up after sunset. Of the other temples in the Sacred centre you could also visit Anjaneya temple, Chandikesvara temple, Veerabadhra temple, Krishna temple, Badavilinga temple, Lakshmi Narasimha and Uddana Veerabadhra. A 500 meter walk from the Virupaksha temple through lush green banana plantations leads you to Mango Tree, an open air, river facing restaurant. We gorged down the best food we’d chanced upon in Hampi, as we sat cross legged on the straw mats.
The banks of the Tungabhadra house the famous riverside ruins. The most important of them being the Vittala Temple that is famed for its 56 musical pillars and the stone chariot carved from a single rock with rotatable wheels. You can stroll down to visit the neighboring King’s balance that leads to the banks of the Tungabadra. We crossed the Gejjala Mandapa and our guide told us that people sometimes use this Mandapa for marriages even now. That gave me a really crazy idea but let’s not digress.
The Royal Centre, comprises of mainly the Hazara Rama temple, Tenali Rama’s pavilion, Palace of Vira Harihara, underground Shiva temple, Bhima’s gateway and queens bath. The Royal Enclosure contains the Lotus Mahal, elephant stables, Zenana enclosure and watch towers. The huge platform known as Mahanavami Dibba, stepped tank and underground passages are also a must-see around there. Something about the noble men’s quarters left me fascinated and reminded me of Machi Pichu.
We used day two to cover few of the temples we did not visit previously. By mid morning we had set off on a coracle ride across the river to Anjanadri Hill, a rocky formation which will give you the opportunity for an arduous monkey infested climb to a Hanuman temple. Talking of which, Hampi is believed to be the mythical monkey kingdom, Kishkinda from the Ramayana. Once you get to the ashram you’d believe it was worth the effort. The panoramic view from atop is splendid. I would have love to experience a sunset/sunrise here. Maybe, next time!
I found out much later that one can experiment with some boldering around Hampi. That’s another thing I’ve adding to my to-do list for the next visit. My friends think I’m crazy but I indisputably believe I can live the rest of my life in Hampi. Until then I’ll settle for visits every now and then, there’s so much more to discover, unravel and experience.
We said goodbye to Hampi overwhelmed by a strange concoction of love and loss.
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