Hampi -The Kingdom that once was..

ipen — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:41:00 GMT

Rocky hillocks, a river flowing peacefully between the hills, little coracles ferrying people across the villages on either side of the river interspersed with lush green fields, grazing cows and goats. Sounds like any village in India, except for the towering structures built with such architectural wisdom that are the only indications that this sleepy little village was once the capital of the prosperous Vijaynagar Empire.

Hampi as a tourist destination doesn’t exactly make news to us folks in India. I mean, its no Munnar, Ooty, Kodaikanal or Goa that seem to appease us mundane holiday goers. In its obscurity lies its beauty.

The Vijayanagara kingdom was the only Hindu empire to have once ruled the whole of South India. It reached its zenith during the reign of KrishnaDeva Raya who immortalized the dynasty by making it one of the richest kingdoms of its time. As time went on, Hampi eventually succumbed to the Muslim invasion and the ruins that we see today bear testimony to the tumultuous period that would have once been.

Anegondi -The Land of the Monkeys

The history of Hampi doesn’t just begin with the Vijaynagar kingdom. Legend has it that it was ‘Kishkinta’ or in another words- The Monkey –kingdom that would have existed at the time of Ramayana. A short ride across the Tungabhadra on a motor boat(or a 6 km ride on a coracle) would take you to Anegondi –the birthplace of Anjaneya or Hanuman. To say that this place is magical would be an understatement. This village was initially the capital of the Vijayanagar empire before it was shifted to Hampi.

A 3km walk from the boat jetty leads to the hill atop which there is a little temple for Hanuman. The less adventurous( or physically unfit) can take an auto to the bottom of the temple. A good 600 steps( panting and gasping for breaths of air) later, we reach the holy shrine. The temple also offers a good view of the village below, so it is definitely worth the climb.

The other places of tourist interest in Anegondi are Sabari’s ashram, possible location of the battle between Sugriva and Vaali and so on. The travellers with more time to spare can easily afford to spend a day in Anegondi and try to fit in a packed lunch in middle of the fields(we did that and it was just great, thanks to our resort!).

Hampi ROCKs!

Since the main places of tourist attraction are in and around Hampi, it makes more sense to allocate more time here. Tourist maps are available in the shops near the bazaar area that have neatly drawn routes showing you all the places of historical importance located in that region. The map is quite easy to follow and with the help of a moped or a bicycle(which can be rented and retained overnight too if required), it is possible to cover most of the places detailed in the map.

Out of all the temples in and around Hampi, the one that assumes significant importance is the Vijaya Vittala temple, possibly for the fact that it is the biggest of all temples boasting of several pieces of architectural importance. Being a world heritage site, there are battery operated cars to take us from the parking lot to the door of the temple. A definite item in the To-Do list would be walking from this temple back to the Hampi Bazaar area, a 3 km walk along the banks of the majestic Tungabhadra river. The walk is not as long as it sounds(and definitely not boring either!) as on the way there are a number of temples and edifices. A glimpse of the Virupaksha temple gopuram(destination) seen at a distance, the river which seems to be flowing ever so peacefully and the setting sun rays glistening the surrounding rocky hills, make the walk difficult to miss.

The Virupaksha temple is the main functioning temple in Hampi area and quite popular with tourists. History lovers will find themselves confronted with a choice of books on the Vijayanagar kingdom inside the temple. In the vicinity are Ganesha temples(more commonly known as ‘Peanut Ganesha and ‘Mustard’ Ganesha), Krishna temple, opposite which is a personal favourite- Pushkarni or a water tank. A simple mandap in the middle of a pond, its pillared reflection in the shimmering green water and the stunning silence engulfing this place transports back through the ages.

One of the trails from Hampi leads to a place called Kamalapura which houses the museum(and other important life saving services like an ATM, a KSRTC restaurant and so on!)

We tried cycling down this road of 5 km and now that we’ve successfully completed I can say that it was a really good experience!! On the way there are a number of places of sheer architectural brilliance like the King’s Palace, Elephant stables, stepped water tank, underground temple, Lotus Mahal and much more. Makes one wonder how wealthy the kingdom would have been – both in riches as well as culture.

A Mango Tree

Nestled somewhere inside a plantain grove is a single mango tree: Well, what is so special about that is that there is a restaurant under it! Having read the review, we decided to give it a shot and spent a considerable amount of time looking for it..until finally ..there it was-a little board which indicated that the restaurant was somewhere in the vicinity.

Mango tree is a quaint little restaurant, hard to find, but definitely worth the hunt. Mats strewn over steps take care of seating while little wooden desks serve as a dining table. With the flickering light of a kerosene lamp and the setting sun, we watched Tungabhadra flow. Food was quite good too and combined with the ambience, it was just the perfect end to a lovely day. You can curl up with a book or just sit back and watch the river flowing peacefully, while nibbling on a cuisine that ranges from anything Indian to European. Definitely worth the visit!

The visit to Hampi left a million thoughts in my mind. Are we really aware of our rich heritage and glorious past? Do we make an attempt to preserve what is left our culture? Hundreds of years ago, Hampi would have been the bustling with activity, thriving with opulence and an epitome of culture. Now all we have here are broken down temples, shattered remains of what would have been magnificent palaces and a symbol of architectural acumen with only some wooden placards by the Archaeological department remind us of Hampi –The Kingdom that once was..”

How to reach Hampi

Nearest rail head : Hospet(10 km away)

There is one overnight train from Bangalore to Hospet and a number of buses

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ipen — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:42:00 GMT

Towering trees creating a green canopy over our heads, rivers carrying sparkling clean water that tasted like nectar, cacophony of sounds emanating from the various inhabitants of this land each busy with an activity that their instinct told them to do, a place where life was a game and everyone played by the rules, this was home.

Times have changed though. Parched rivers, diminishing green canopy, threats from predators who wanted a share of our land has made our life a struggle for existence.

I needed to strike today. It was a typical summer night as I treaded towards those lights I had been keeping an eye on for the last few days. He was standing with his back towards me, an easy target, I thought to myself. I pounced on his shoulder and brought him to the ground. He howled in pain and cried out for help. Anticipating danger, I began tugging at him faster, but in vain. If I had to escape, my only choice was to leave him behind. One last look at him, and I disappeared into the darkness, right where I had come from.
Circumstances and an inflicted injury have forced me to attack men. I have to do this in order to feed my four hungry little ones, until eventually I meet the same fate as the rest of my tribe. If Change was the only permanent thing in this world, I wish the change was for the good, for everyone’s good.

Jim Corbett Park in northern India is known to be the best tiger reserve in the country: a park official was mauled by a man–eating tigress during my visit in 2005. An otherwise wonderful tiger spotting experience in the jungle was marred by this incident. Tigers are beautiful creatures that tend to harm humans only under duress. Excessive poaching, plundering and looting forests is pushing India’s national animal into extinction. There are about 1700 tigers in the country today and only a matter of time before we see the last of them walking on Earth. Let’s look at the world through their eyes .Let’s let them live.

The road less travelled...

Hampi -The Kingdom that once was..

Photos: The land of the singing waves

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My Scholarship entry - Seeing the world through other eyes