The Experience
At 7:00 am I’m jolted awake by the sudden lack of noise and movement. The last nine hours have been spent on a bus, making my way to the city of Hampi, located in the state of Karnataka. Disheveled and weary I grab my rucksack and stumble out into Hampi Bazaar. The surrounds look like something out of an Indiana Jones flick: ancient archways slowly crumbling to oblivion; boulders piled on top of each other in unlikely formations; hundreds of people bustling about, shopping, begging, bargaining; and off in the distance a temple, in typical Vijayangara architectural style, stepping its way to the sky.
I reach the river after being ripped off by a sneaky rickshaw driver. Just down the way from where the scoundrel dropped me off, I can see an elephant from the Virupaksha Temple being led to the river for its morning bath. The sun is glinting off the water and nearly a hundred brightly colored people, Indians and foreigners, are gathered around to watch elephant’s sunrise ritual. The giant animal seems to take such pleasure in the water she cascades over herself.
After rolling up my pant-legs, wading through the river, and cramming into the boat that carried me across the river, I find a nice place to stay. The room provides a view of the river and the temples across it, including the famous Virupaksha and Hemaktu Temples. From the outdoor café I can sight-see and after an overnight bus ride, this is all I have the energy for. In addition to a view of temples, boulders and river, the guest house has a troop of monkeys living just down the hill. I spent a lot of time watching the antics of the large, black-faced monkeys, though keeping my distance from them due to stories I'd heard of attacks.
The next day I set out early to explore the outer limits of the city. I was wandering amongst boulders the size of houses, when an ancient looking Indian woman emerged from a cave.
"Temple, temple," she said, dragging me by my sleeve into the enclave she'd just emerged from. Inside the tiny room, through the dim light, I could make out a Ganesh that had been carved of the cave's wall. He looked only just older than his keeper. She murmured a short prayer, rubbed some red kum kum powder on my third eye and stuck out her wrinkled hand, seeking a donation for her services. I dug into my handbag and gave her ten rupees.
"No!" she said, horrified by the amount I'd given her. "No! More!" she demanded.
I wasn't about to give her more, knowing that the amount was sufficient. As I walked away she followed, continuing her demands. Finally she gave up and retreated back to the cool darkness of her cave.
The sun was beating down on my head, casting the world in fuzzy heat lines. From a distance I catch sight of a group of stone structures. As I draw nearer, one stands above the rest. This giant gate is covered with intricately carved depictions of animals, rulers, gods and goddesses. It leads into a temple complex, the relics of a dynasty that reigned supreme for 200 hundred years and then deserted their city, Vijayangara, 500 years ago.
Every where I look there are relics: sandstone pillars with women, horses, men, lotus flowers and gods carved into them; a giant, now dried up pool with steps descending to its center; and small stone houses that long ago were places people called home.
Inside one of the ancient temples I find what looks like a secret passage. The entrance way is dark. I descend the stairs. Slivers of light show through the cracks in the stone ceiling, casting glimpses of aged statues and their stone shrines. The passageway takes me around the temple and out the other side. I ascend the stairs and as I'm arriving back into the main temple, an Indian man passes by. I startled the daylights out of him.
"I thought I was seeing a ghost!" he exclaims. Even when I see the same man later, he looks jumpy. If I'm scaring the locals, perhaps it is time to see what else Hampi has to offer.
I rent a bicycle and peddle to the Hanuman Temple. After nearly 1,000 stairs I reach the top, too puffed for a minute to enjoy the view. As I catch my breath, I start to make sense of the scene around me. Everywhere I look there are monkeys: picking fleas off each other, running, jumping, climbing, eating and seemingly posing for photos taken by pilgrims.
From up here I can see the boulder strewn landscape and green rice paddies; people moving about their business like so many ants; cows munching; auto-rickshaws puttering by as if they are matchbox cars; and the sunsetting over the distant hills. It's a stunning last view of Hampi; tomorrow I leave for the next place.
I reach the river after being ripped off by a sneaky rickshaw driver. Just down the way from where the scoundrel dropped me off, I can see an elephant from the Virupaksha Temple being led to the river for its morning bath. The sun is glinting off the water and nearly a hundred brightly colored people, Indians and foreigners, are gathered around to watch elephant’s sunrise ritual. The giant animal seems to take such pleasure in the water she cascades over herself.
After rolling up my pant-legs, wading through the river, and cramming into the boat that carried me across the river, I find a nice place to stay. The room provides a view of the river and the temples across it, including the famous Virupaksha and Hemaktu Temples. From the outdoor café I can sight-see and after an overnight bus ride, this is all I have the energy for. In addition to a view of temples, boulders and river, the guest house has a troop of monkeys living just down the hill. I spent a lot of time watching the antics of the large, black-faced monkeys, though keeping my distance from them due to stories I'd heard of attacks.
The next day I set out early to explore the outer limits of the city. I was wandering amongst boulders the size of houses, when an ancient looking Indian woman emerged from a cave.
"Temple, temple," she said, dragging me by my sleeve into the enclave she'd just emerged from. Inside the tiny room, through the dim light, I could make out a Ganesh that had been carved of the cave's wall. He looked only just older than his keeper. She murmured a short prayer, rubbed some red kum kum powder on my third eye and stuck out her wrinkled hand, seeking a donation for her services. I dug into my handbag and gave her ten rupees.
"No!" she said, horrified by the amount I'd given her. "No! More!" she demanded.
I wasn't about to give her more, knowing that the amount was sufficient. As I walked away she followed, continuing her demands. Finally she gave up and retreated back to the cool darkness of her cave.
The sun was beating down on my head, casting the world in fuzzy heat lines. From a distance I catch sight of a group of stone structures. As I draw nearer, one stands above the rest. This giant gate is covered with intricately carved depictions of animals, rulers, gods and goddesses. It leads into a temple complex, the relics of a dynasty that reigned supreme for 200 hundred years and then deserted their city, Vijayangara, 500 years ago.
Every where I look there are relics: sandstone pillars with women, horses, men, lotus flowers and gods carved into them; a giant, now dried up pool with steps descending to its center; and small stone houses that long ago were places people called home.
Inside one of the ancient temples I find what looks like a secret passage. The entrance way is dark. I descend the stairs. Slivers of light show through the cracks in the stone ceiling, casting glimpses of aged statues and their stone shrines. The passageway takes me around the temple and out the other side. I ascend the stairs and as I'm arriving back into the main temple, an Indian man passes by. I startled the daylights out of him.
"I thought I was seeing a ghost!" he exclaims. Even when I see the same man later, he looks jumpy. If I'm scaring the locals, perhaps it is time to see what else Hampi has to offer.
I rent a bicycle and peddle to the Hanuman Temple. After nearly 1,000 stairs I reach the top, too puffed for a minute to enjoy the view. As I catch my breath, I start to make sense of the scene around me. Everywhere I look there are monkeys: picking fleas off each other, running, jumping, climbing, eating and seemingly posing for photos taken by pilgrims.
From up here I can see the boulder strewn landscape and green rice paddies; people moving about their business like so many ants; cows munching; auto-rickshaws puttering by as if they are matchbox cars; and the sunsetting over the distant hills. It's a stunning last view of Hampi; tomorrow I leave for the next place.
When to Go
Hampi is a brilliant place to visit if you have any interest in ancient ruins, temples, history or World Heritage Sites. The place is brimming with culture and well worth a look. It gets hot in summer, so if you're adverse to the heat, try winter or spring (it's still warm, just not cooking).
Odds n' Ends
The quieter side of the river (north side), and therefore the side least likely to be disturbed by crazy Hindu festivals, is opposite that of the major temples. If you want to be able to sleep, I recommend the north. Boats go there throughout the day, but wind up operations pretty early, so ensure you're at the boat on time to reach your side of the water before services finish for the night!
Places to Stay Nearby
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1 miles away
Kishkinda Heritage Resort is located in Sanapur, Anegundi. The nearest railway station is at Hosapete from where pick and drop facility is organised on prior ... 2 miles away
$2363 INR+
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