Come, Fall in Love with Incredible Hampi

Often referred to as ‘A Forgotten Empire’, ‘The City Of Ruins’, ‘The Boulder City’ and Kishkindha Nagari in the Ramayana –- Hampi is the place where time stands still, and you can’t help but admire the magnificent reminisces of a glorious time gone by!

Tête-à-Tête With History

We drove and reached what was once the illustrious capital of the Vijayanagar Kingdom –- Hampi. We were welcomed by large granite bedrocks, some of them like the Hemakuta span, about 1 sq-km in area! Feeling a wee bit lost since there was no tourist centre in sight, it was a relief to be approached by a government-approved tour guide. I was completely blown away by what he told us next, “Hampi covers 26 sq km land comprising 2000 temples, 3000 mandaps. If you were to scientifically view them all, it would take about 3 months to cover everything.” And he was hired, the next minute.

my-way-on-highway-day-hampi-Teta — Witnessing sunset from top of Hemakuta Hill is an experience of a lifetime

What’s The Big Deal About Hampi?

While moving carefully from rock to rock, you cannot put away the one ruling thought: Things they must have seen! Dating its first settlements back to 1 CE, Hampi reached its glory under the reign of Krishnadevaraya, of the Vijayanagar Empire, from 1509 to 1530. During that time, the city was so prosperous that diamonds and precious stones would be sold in its streets. In fact, traders from Arab, China, Portugal and Italy came here to do business until war struck. You will see many carvings in stone that depict the cosmopolitan demographics, and it is believed that the city was established within 7 hills inspired by none other than Rome itself!

my-way-on-highway-day-hampi-big-deal — The magnificent ruins of Krishna Bazaar speak volumes of the glorious days gone by...

Circa Now!

Having lived through the pinnacle of prosperity and then absolute abandonment, Hampi is now under the purview of the Archaelogical Survey of India, and enjoys the prerogative of being a UNESCO declared World Heritage Site. Our tour guide tells us that the huge expanse of architectural marvel that we see today is only 40% of the actual kingdom. The remaining 60% is yet to be excavated, and the ASI hopes to complete the entire excavation project by 2021. Testimonials from the past support the glorious history of Hampi, the most recent was uncovered 3 years back, when a 1 kg of ornaments was discovered. Despite attracting so many tourists every day, it is during the 3-day Hampi Utsav in November, the town is flooded with lakhs of visitors.

The famous Virupaaksha Temple is the only active place of worship in the protected area, with a spectacular gopuram (gateway) that stands 168 feet tall. Many people come to see the pin hole camera effect when the gopuram’s inverted shadow falls on the inner sanctum.

my-way-on-highway-day-hampi-circa-now — The gopuram at Virupaaksha Temple (168 ft) is the tallest in Karnataka

Tips For Hampi

Douse plenty of sunscreen (don’t bother if you have anything below SPF 50) and keep a water bottle handy at all times while exploring the stunning landscape of Hampi. With so many boulders around, you surely will have a tough time counting them all. We took Gulabo (our car) along and walked where she couldn’t go, but folks can also opt for bicycles that can be hired for as cheap as 50 bucks for one full-day.

Do stop by the Hampi Bazaar. There are some quaint little shops for buying amazing outfits crafted by the local designers. I let the purse-strings loose at a nameless store. For lunch, we opted for Mango Tree. This charming little restaurant has a floor seating along with the regular table and chair one. We chose the former and loved every single minute of it. They serve both Indian and International dishes.

Movie Connection

Hampi’s dry, arid beauty has been captured by many a cinematic masterpiece; the prominent ones being Rowdy Rathore and The Myth. Most of the shooting in Hampi specifically happens in the Vithala Temple, marked by a skillful sculptural work, the massive stone carriage and the 56 musical pillars, which used to reverberate in the past at a mere tap. Now, a guard stands to make sure you don’t touch any, forget tap. But, if you request him, he might just treat you to the sound of musical pillars in another part of the area.

At the Vithala Temple, you are taken in an electric 10-seater car driven by a lady. Yes, the 25 electric cars here are driven by a special team of local female drivers who will impress you with their confident personality.

my-way-on-highway-day-hampi-movie-connection — The stunning Vithala Temple locale is much loved by film makers

Our day ended at the Tungabhadra River, that had Coracle boats to take travellers to Anagundi, where Lord Hanuman is believed to have been born. Short of time, we had to come back quickly and miss out on this one. Think the other side will have to be kept for our next visit to Hampi.

my-way-on-highway-day-hampi-tungabhadra-river — Coracle Boats are the lifeline of Hampi

Are you ready for a date with history?

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Saba Shaikh

Saba is a nomad at heart. Having lived in 12 cities, she looks to experience different cultures and is dying to trot all over the world in more than 80 days (what’s the rush!). Daydreaming and baking are her other love interests!