Kingdom Of Dreams

“Feels like the lost city of Atlantis”, says my daughter. She is right.
A large part of Hampi in today’s Karnataka state was lost centuries ago, buried under silt from floods in the Tungabhadra River, till excavations began. Ruins of palaces, exquisitely carved temples, stone gateways and an elaborate network of aqueducts and canals from the mighty Vijayanagara Empire were unearthed in the effort.
As a tourist, you could walk down the usual path of calling on various temples or taking a coracle ride along the Tungabhadra River.
What I would suggest you do, however, is hop across to where the palace complex once stood. Much of it is in ruins today but enough remains to take you back to what must have been a majestic place.
One structure is visible from all sides.
The Ramanavami/Dussehra Dibba is intimidating in scale. Build of a granite core surrounded by stone in tiers, its intricate carvings make you marvel at the skill of Hampi’s artisans. As you walk around, you see the tableaux - the king being entertained by wrestlers, hunting a lion….
Climbing the ceremonial platform makes you feel like a king/queen for a while. You can imagine a sea of people cheering on as you arrive at the venue for the annual state festival of Ramanavami/Dussehra. Soldiers, horses and royal elephants stand at attention, waiting for the celebrations to begin.
Described by Portugese traveller Domingo Paes as a ‘king of medium height and cheerful disposition’, King Krishna Deva Raya originally built this platform. Inviting dignitaries from other kingdoms as state guests, he must have made sure that the festivities were a worthy testimonial to the might of his empire.
As our guide tells it, the sporty king welcomed influences from all over the world and brought in Mongolian trainers to coach his cavalry.
I wouldn’t have believed the last bit. Except there are two male figures who look Mongolian are dancing away to glory in that tableaux on rock.
So, go to Hampi and discover your own hidden gems – ones that might not make you rich but might put a smile on your face.
This October-December, board a train from Mumbai/Bangalore to Hospet or a plane to Hubli and go to Hampi.
If I were to do it again, I would keep aside 7-10 days for the trip. You do the first round alone, setting your imagination free. Then get a guide in the second round to know where you went wrong!