I have been to Hampi a couple of times and I still think I have not had enough of it. To actually feel the vibes of one of the largest and the greatest empires of India, I felt a chill go through my spine. The Hampi ruins, the temples and monuments are a wonderful sight. The first time my family and I went to Hampi was by road from Mumbai. We halted for the night at my uncle’s gorgeous mansion in Hubli. Most part of the drive from Mumbai is an expressway all the way to Belgavi. This part is not so scenic but comfortable. The drive from Hubli is about three hours. The roads are pretty nice and the experience of navigating the countryside is eye-catching. We stayed at the Hyatt Place Hampi which was quite far from the Hampi ruins and frankly, the hotel was disappointing.
On my second trip, my cousin and I flew to Belgavi and hired a cab to Hampi which was also very comfortable. It took us around 5 hours. We made a reservation for a couple of nights at the Heritage Hotel in Hampi. The location is great as it is only 5 kms away from the ruins. The swimming pool is nice to unwind and relax after a long day of sightseeing which can be tiring because of the hot weather. We also indulged in Ayurvedic therapies and massages offered at the Spa. There are not many good hotels in Hampi so the Heritage Hotel is a great option.
Hampi, The Kingdom Of Krishnadeva Raya
Coming from a family of history buffs, my dad used to tell me stories of this great king. My dad is an ancient coin collector and his knowledge of Indian history is second to none. In his collection, he possess coins in gold, silver and bronze and a few of them belong to the era of the great Vijaynagar empire.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Vijaynagar empire was the largest empire in India. Krishnadevaraya was the third ruler of the Tulava dynasty. He reigned over most of South India in the 16th century which is today’s Karnataka, Northern Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Such was the magnitude of his empire. He was a great statesman and a courageous general. He was a visionary when it came to setting up of a modern city with exquisite town planning that included a drainage system, canals and irrigation systems that can be seen at the Hampi ruins and more astonishingly some are even functional as of today! Under the rule of Krishnadevaraya, Vijaynagar became a powerful military state and an influential Hindu empire.
The Virupaksha Temple
On the south bank of the Tungabhadra river is the 7th century Virupaksha Temple. The temple has a long history. It was built by Queen Lokamaahadevi because of her husband’s victory over the Pallavas of Kanchipuram. Like most South Indian temples there is a huge courtyard upon entering and if you turn left you will find an elephant called Laxmi (a real, live elephant; not a statue). To receive her blessings, my cousin donated Rs 100 which Laxmi passed to her master and then blessed my cousin on the head with her trunk. The most interesting part of the temple was when we went inside a dark room, we saw an inverted image of the 165 feet tall Gopuram. The concept was that of a pin hole camera. This clearly shows how advanced science was way back in the 7th century!
Lakshmi Narasimha Statue
This dramatic structure is the largest in Hampi. It was built by the commander of the Hoysala Empire, Bommanna Dandanayaka. It is located on the southern side of the temples on the Hemakuta Hill. The statue shows Lord Narasimha sitting on a coil of a giant seven headed snake called Adishesha. The heads of the snake act as the hood above his head. He is shown in a terrifying or angry form. Narasimha means half-man and half-lion and is one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The original statue comprised of the image of goddess Laxmi sitting on his lap was destroyed due to an assault on the Vijaynagar empire.
The Vitthala Temple
The Vitthala temple complex is the show stopper of Hampi. There are lots of temples, halls and pavilions located within the complex itself. The stone chariot is the most stunning structure that brings the entire complex to life. There are two elephants in front of the chariot but according to our guide, these elephants were originally carved as horses. We know this because even today, you can see the hind legs and tail of the horses that had been carved earlier.
Another highlight of the Vitthala temple is the intricately carved giant monolithic pillars. The guide, on tapping the pillars showed us musical tones that were emanating from the exterior pillars! The temple complex has a number of halls that have mythological figures that depict many interesting stories.
Since we were staying in Hampi for two nights, we decided to call it a day and walked to the river bank behind the Vitthala temple. We chilled on the historical structures located on the bank of the Tungabhadra river. Some of these structures are totally submerged when the water level rises during the monsoon or floods. We spent the rest of the evening imagining the way of life in ancient India.
The Elephant Stables
Next morning we headed to the Elephant stables. It is one of the most maintained structures in Hampi. It is a long building with a row of chambers that provided shelter to the royal elephants. The lofty arched doorways open into a maidaan which was used either by troops or animals. The neighbouring structure situated on the right of the Elephant Stables seems to be a mystery but according to some historians it may have been used by kings as a meeting place to review the troops and animals.
Kadalekalu Ganesha Temple
This temple is located on the slope of the Hemakuta hills. The height of this massive statue is 15 feet and the belly resembles a Bengal Gram which is locally called Kadalekalu and gives the statue its name. Views of the Bazaar, the Hampi ruins and the foothills of the Matanga Hill are quite spectacular. We sat by the Ganesha temple watching the sunset and the hues of colour on the monuments was perfect for some photography. Resting by the pillars, the sound of the birds chirping and the peaceful surroundings were a perfect setting for a lovely holiday in the midst of historical enormity.
Step Well or Tanks
Like most temples in india, Hampi’s ruins also feature ancient water tanks called Pushkarnis. They have several large tiers with multiple steps in the form of pyramids. These tanks are either rectangular or square shaped. What is fascinating is that some of the temples are still getting water from the Tungabhadra river using the ancient system! Hampi also has a network of huge aqueducts and canals that spread across the entire area. This shows some intelligent planning of waterways in ancient India.
Funky Cafes
The stunning landscape of Hampi attracts tourists from all over the world because of which there is a abundance of quaint cafes. One of the oldest cafes is the Mango Tree. They serve a variety of cuisines but their thali is the most popular dish as it is served on banana leaves which is quite a cultural experience for foreigners. The Laughing Buddha is another interesting cafe. It is located near the river and the burgers are to die for.
Lesser Known Anegundi
Our curiosity led us to cross the Tungabhadra on a coracle, locally called a Theppa, to experience this ancient village of Anegundi which in ancient times was called Kishkindha. It was the centre of the Vijaynagar empire even before Hampi. The lush green paddy fields were a treat to the eyes. According to Geologists, Anegundi village and its surrounding area is as old as the planet itself! We walked and walked only to realise that there is a lot of history and mythology and that we need to do one more trip back here to explore this tiny hamlet.
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