Incredible Hampi

Hampi the enigmatic city in Karnataka lies on the banks of Tungabhadra river. It slowly unravels itself with the first morning light, as a beautiful theatre showing us the period drama taking us 500yrs back in the time machine and many years behind, to the golden age of Vijayanagar rulers as well as to many epochs before, when Gods themselves wandered on earth in the forms of Shiva, Parvarti, Rama and Hanumana with his mythical monkey army. Wow, what an alluring place it is, unfolding its history inch by inch as we walked further ahead and tried to unfold many more chapters of history left behind. The more we went deep into it, our craving for it increased even further. So here I am back again, with my soulful experience of Hampi, the land amidst the ruins.

View from Anjanadri Hill

The moment I stepped on to it, I felt an awe seeing the unusual landscape. It appeared to me, as if the entire city, not only the monuments, but also the hillocks appeared broken down into big and small rocks. It made me feel quite perplexed and wonder with curiosity and my imaginations started shaping up. I felt as if, a massive war broke out between the Gods and the giants and these boulders were used in the form of weapons, and there were rain showers of these boulders all over the place. Or it emerged as if, the Gods played with these boulders as building blocks and positioned them in an unimaginably mysterious way.

View from Anjanadri Hill

However,these rocks of Hampi are one of the oldest on the planet They are red and rounded with a unique hue of pink which makes them immensely appeasing aesthetically . Also, these rocks appear so distinctly notable and strange, that they complement uniquely with the remains of the era bygone. This odd fusion and irregular weave between them, with a strikingly contrast greenery, made the ruins appear even more charismatically surreal. Furthermore, to add to the beauty and grandeur of the place are the rich paddy fields, farmlands with coconut and banana plantation which appear remarkably different from the backdrop.

View from Anjanadri Hill

When I futher moved ahead and explored the other aspects of Hampi, I came across the serene Tungabhadra river which flows gently through the Hampi Bazar, going far ahead towards the distant hills. That moment, I decided to take a coracle ride on this pristine river. Wow what an experience I had, it was so refreshing and energizing that it filled me with immense positivity and exuberance. I then decided to capture this live moment in the back of my mind and narrate it later. So here I am sitting and jotting words to express my feelings.

Riverside - Tungabhadra

Ancient temples on the bank of Tungabhadra

Most of my time spent there, was capturing the natural essence of the place. Admiring the sacred flowing river, feeling the freshness in the breeze, discerning the encompassing red hills, noticing the vast expanse of blue skies, catching the first glimpse of early morning light, noticing the sky turning into a wide canvas with hues of pink and orange, glancing at the uncommon and distinctive rock features, viewing the carvings on the big giant rocks and the list goes on and on. The experience was so deep and purifying that it filled me with immense vivacity and enthusiasm. I instantly developed a spiritual connect with the place.

River and Rocks

Ancient temple

Nandi standing guard since centuries

River as seen on the coracle ride

The aura was magnified unimaginably by the reflection of these red hills on the flowing water of Tungabhadra. The color of river turned into a sacred red as these hills cast their shadow on the beautifully flowing pristine river, building a unique fusion of sacred colors. Besides, to add to the element were the surrounding caves in between these red and rounded hills with carvings of Gods and Goddesses of 500yrs back which are still being worshipped religiously. Some of these carvings are also found on the rocks which are left in open to test its sustainability in the changing weather and climatic conditions. With these distinctive aspects around, the environment looked so raw, yet beautiful.

KotiLinga on the rocks of Tungabhadra river

Gods on rockface

Vishnu resting on the bank of Tungabhadra

Lonely Shivalinga standing up to the test of time

Carvings on Rocks

                                                         

Krishnadevraya 

Now coming back to the history of the place. Hampi was the capital city of the last great Hindu Kingdom of South India, which was the pride of Vijayanagar. It was founded in 1336 and was governed for a period of 200 yrs. It was an important business center in those times, with flourishing markets and trading centers. It was considered among the wealthiest cities in India. People from all over the world gathered here for trade. Chronicles left from Persian and European travelers validate these facts.

Depiction of daily life at Mahanavami Dibba

Bazaar of Virupaksha temple

Temple carvings depicting a busy horse market

Furthermore, the Vijayanagar rulers encouraged lot of developments during their reign. They had very strong religious beliefs and built a lot of temples and shrines.

Iconic Stone Chariot

Carvings at Vitthala temple

Mythical Yalli

Kalyana Mandapa

Gopura - Vitthala Temple

Gopura - Vitthala Temple

Gopura - Vitthala Temple

Gopura - Vitthala Temple

Beautiful monuments including forts, royal and sacred complexes, pillared halls, mandapas, agricultural methods, advanced water structures and river side features where made. Music and art was also an important part of their culture. To boot it up all, they had a strong military and planning system, which is quite noticeable in the forts which seems to be built, keeping the surrounding areas in mind. They fought several wars with the sultanates.

Elephant stables

Lotus mahal

Stepped tank at Maahanavami dibba

Queen's Bath

Queens Bath

Entrance to a a secret underground war chamber

Underground War Chamber

Mahanavami Dibba - hotspot of cultural activities in ancient Hampi

Ruined gateway near Vitthala temple

But all of this ended, when the Vijayanagar Empire was finally defeated by the alliance made by the Muslim Sultanates.Its capital city was plundered and conquered.Temples were destroyed,markets were pillaged, and the entire place was left ravaged and devastated, only to be discovered sometime in the 19th century.

Lonely watchtower stands strong amidst ruins

While most of the recorded history of the region is about the Vijaynagar empire, some Ashokan edicts were also found here, so this region must have been a part of the Mauryan Empire some 2000 years back.

Hampi has its significance in Indian mythology also. Hampi was known as Pampa- Kshetra, derived from Pampa, another name of Goddess Parvati. According to mythology Goddess Parvati transformed herself into a yogini and lived an ascetic life to win over Lord Shiva. She meditated on these banks of Tungabhadra river on Hemakuta Hill. The river thus came to be known as Pampa river. The Sanskrit word Pampa changed into the Kannada word Hampa and this place where Parvati wins over Shiva came to be known as Hampi.

Shiva and Pampa

Another mythological tale associated with the place is mentioned in Ramayana, the great Hindu Epic. This place was known as Kishkindha, where Lord Rama and Lakshmana met Lord Hanuman, Sugriva and the monkey army in search for Goddess Sita.

Birthplace of Hanuman

Restored Narashimha statue

Now, Hampi is declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Its distinctive landscape, intertwines artistically with the archeological remains and monuments left over. It is now conserved as an open-air museum symbolizing the historical, cultural and religious significance of the place.The unusual topography complements well with the mythological tales narrated. People from across the world come to visit the place. It also attracts lot of pilgrims from far and wide. A three-day Hampi Utsav is celebrated every year to celebrate the history and heritage of this incredible place.

This was all I could gather in my four- day trip to Hampi. It’s a must visit place for people who have a taste for art, culture and history. It is a welcoming place for nature lovers and creative minds too. This trip left me with a longing for more and I am looking forward for my next trip soon.

All the pictures were taken by me or Anurag. You can read him at: BangaloreOutdoors