Heritage Hampi!

Hampi is located in North Karnataka, within the Vijayanagara ruins, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vijayanagar was one of the richest and largest cities in the world during its prime. [ around 1500 AD]

It was a long time wish of mine to visit this historic place. I’d read about it in my school history lessons… and, hailing from Karnataka, it felt natural to want to see Hampi and revel in its glory!! I’d also heard from friends that its a beautiful place to visit.

Click on the link to read more about Hampi.

So, when the travel enthu gang from office was planning for the next trip, we zeroed in on Hampi !! And, I for one was surely super excited about the trip… for myself as well as for a dear friend for whom it was going to be the first trip leaving her daughter in charge of the dad! She was nervous as well but wanted a much needed break.

We started on a Friday evening, traveled some 350 kms to reach Hampi the next morning. Excitement began as soon as we reached. We had to cross the river in order to get to our place of stay. The ferry that took us across carried people and two wheelers as well. Looked like it was the most convenient and preferred way with the locals as well. There was always a sizable crowd waiting for the lone ferry that made several trips between the banks each day.

The Tungabhadra river…

We were lodged in a dormitory style accommodation. It was a nice place surrounded by trees and greenery, which was in stark contrast to the largely rocky landscape of Hampi.

On day 1, we walked for the most part, though it was quite sunny and hot. The Kuduregombe mantapa, Pushkarini, Vijaya Vittala Temple complex, the Virupaksha temple all stand testimony to the grandeur of the city that was! The structures are all a mix of the old parts and the new stone pillars that have been added to resurrect these.

I’ll let the pictures do the talking!

The Kuduregombe mantapa

The Pushkarini

The Vijaya Vittala temple. And inside the temple complex.

The famed Stone Chariot

The Gopura of the main temple in the complex.

The rocky terrain..opposite Sugreev’s cave

Amazed to see some tour the place on bicycles! The rocks prominent in the background..

Purandaradasa mantapa

Virupaksha temple

We also visited a museum that housed the pics of Hampi, taken when the ruins were first discovered. Moving about these places, the mind was filled with wonder and I found myself thinking about the kind of life the people of Hampi had led and about the things that I recalled having read in my History books!

By evening most of us were dead tired. On reaching our place of stay, we freshened up a bit and then crashed onto the bed 🙂 Got up after relaxing for a couple of hours and then just lazed around for sometime until dinner. One group was enthu enough to cut short the relaxation and make the most of the trip! In fact, it was their excited shrieks that kinda forced the rest of us to get out of the cozy comfort of our beds 🙂

Post dinner, we chatted some, read some… still dazed from all the activity of the day. However, a round of Poker made us all sit up and shake off our inertia. We retired to bed around midnight.

– to be continued..

This is my entry for the letter H at ABC Wednesday!