The village of Hampi is located in the north of the Indian state of Karnataka, on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. In the Middle Ages, this area was the site of the city of Vijayanagar, the capital of the Hindu empire of the same name from the 14th to 17th centuries.
The ruins of Vijayanagar are since 1986 a UNESCO heritage site under the name of Hampi Monuments. And the village of Hampi, which existed even before the city was founded, is a famous Hindu centre due to the Virupaksha temple, which is still functioning today. It is also considerably older than Vijayanagar, but its present appearance dates from the period of the Vijayanagar Empire.
History
In its heyday, the medieval Vijayanagar Empire comprised the whole of southern India. Vijayanagar was home to half a million people. The city had temples and palaces surrounded by gardens and decorated with sculptures of Hindu gods. The capital had water supply and sewerage systems and seven lines of fortifications for defence. The city was guarded by a 40,000-strong army of 400 war elephants. Sharp swords were mounted on their tusks to defeat enemies.
All this made it possible to repel attacks by Muslim invaders who had subjugated much of India. But in 1565, the army of the Vijayanagara Empire was defeated by the Muslims. Since then, all that remains of its capital are ruins of temples and other sites. Many of them are still striking today.
What to see in Hampi
The landscape of Hampi village is very different from what you are used to. Huge blocks of stone and fragments of majestic structures are scattered over an area of 26 square kilometres. There are many "balancing" stones - boulders on rocks. On them one can also see stone "arbours", raised there in an unknown way and for unknown purposes. The foundations of vast shopping areas can be seen. The main sights are a number of medieval temples marked by UNESCO. Originally they and the sculptures and ornaments adorning them were multi-coloured, but over time the colours have faded.
Virupaksha Temple
Photo: AMITABHA GUPTA. Source: Wikipedia
The well-preserved Virupaksha Temple is dedicated to the god Shiva, one of whose incarnations (avatar) Virupaksha is considered to be. The earliest inscriptions on the temple date back to the 10th century. The entrance is through a 48-metre high gopuram, which is the name of the gate tower in Hindu temples. It is decorated with numerous sculptures depicting not only Indian gods. There are many erotic scenes that could be mistaken for illustrations of the Kama Sutra. Some travellers find them obscene.
Inside the temple, a lingam is installed as a symbol of Shiva's creative power. Apart from the shrine proper, the temple complex includes royal quarters, a swimming pool and a kitchen. The Tungabhadra river flows under the main building. Every year the temple is visited by a large number of pilgrims from all parts of India. Their peak is recorded in December when the traditional wedding festival is organised in Hampi.
Vittala Temple
Located near the village market, the Vittala Temple is dedicated to one of the incarnations of the god Vishnu. The inner halls of the shrine are decorated with figures of musicians and dancers for a reason. 40 (out of the original 56) "singing" granite mini-columns of the temple are a kind of musical instrument. When tapping on these columns with sandalwood sticks, one can hear the sounds of a drum, a church bell, a school bell, a doorbell. With the acquisition of skill it becomes possible to reproduce more complex melodies. Professionals could produce sounds that could be heard 1.5 kilometres away.
The phenomenon of outwardly identical columns producing different sounds has not been solved to this day. The assumption of the British colonisers about different voids in the columns has not been confirmed. It remains to accept a hypothesis about addition to granite outwardly invisible impurities changing their properties. Besides ancient builders should have known the theory of propagation of sound waves.
Now the columns are fenced off, but tourists for 100 rupees can order an attendant to play them, but only with the help of fingers, without sticks. The sounds will be heard within a radius of 10 metres.
Stone Chariot
Ancient builders left another testimony of their skill to their descendants. Opposite the entrance to the Vittala temple is a granite chariot (Stone chariot) created in the 15th century. The 50-tonne chariot is carved from a single stone. Its dimensions are 6 metres long, 3.5 metres wide and 4 metres high.
All the details of the real wooden chariots are reproduced in stone. The chariot is decorated with images of Hindu gods and heroes in scenes from the epic Mahabharata. Inside the chariot one can see the divine eagle Garuda, the companion of the god Vishnu. Presumably, the chariot was built in the XVI century in honour of Bhima - a character from the Indian national epic.
Originally, the stone wheels of the chariot could rotate. It was believed that those who spun them gained the favour of the gods. There were so many people who wanted to do it that the wheels were immobilised to preserve the monument.
The chariot became one of symbols of India. It was depicted on an Indian postage stamp issued in honour of the 25th anniversary of the country's independence."
Narasimha Monolith
The well-preserved seven-metre high Narasimha ("lion-man") statue on Hemakuta Hill, created in 1673, is also carved out of a rock monolith. This fourth avatar of Vishnu looks like a lion-headed man in a trance. According to manuscripts, he originally had his wife Lakshmi on his lap. This could not please the Muslims and they left him alone. For better preservation of the sculpture, the feet of the deity are fixed with a concrete stopper.
Lotus Palace
Photo: Maheshwaran S. Source: Wikipedia
The two-storeyed Lotus Palace (Lotus Mahal) does indeed resemble an ajar lotus bud. Its architecture intertwines Indian and Arabic motifs. It is assumed that women close to the court rested in the pavilion. On the first floor of the palace, cold water circulated through special pipes to keep the palace cool. The ground floor was cooled by air currents. Above the window apertures are preserved hooks that held the curtains.
Royal Elephant House
In Vijayanagar, the royal elephants also had their home. The animals were housed in 11 spacious compartments with fountains (for quenching thirst). Mounts for tethering the elephants have been preserved. The elephant house fulfilled an unexpected second function. In its centre, the court orchestra gathered, and elephants participated in concerts.
Hanuman Temple
The Hanuman temple is located on the top of Anjanadri hill, on the opposite bank of the Tungabhadra river. According to the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana, this is the place where Hanuman, one of its heroes and friend of Rama and Sita, was born. There are stepped paths leading to the temple. The most popular one has 575 steps but is surprisingly easy to climb.
Inside the shrine are several altars and a statue of Anjana, Hanuman's mother. The temple has an aquarium with a 25kg stone floating on the surface of the water and not sinking. It is a sample of the stones that, according to the Ramayana, enabled Rama's army to cross from India to Sri Lanka. In the shrine, reciters constantly recite the Ramayana. Rama's footprints can be seen near the shrine.
The deity Hanuman is a monkey-like creature. Not surprisingly, there are many monkeys used to humans in the vicinity of the temple. There are several viewing platforms near the temple, offering panoramas of the village itself and stunning sunsets."
There are crossings to the other side of the Tungabhadra river, particularly near Virupaksha and Vittala temples.
How to reach
There are not as many tourists in Hampi as there could be, given the high status of the attractions. The reason is the long journey. The capital of Karnataka state, the city of Bangalore, is 350 kilometres away. A little closer are the resorts in the province of Goa. Most travellers reach here from its North Goa district. The distance separating the two can be travelled by train or bus.
Train
An overnight train is convenient and can be taken at Vasco Da Gama (in North Goa) or Margao (in South Goa) stations. Train timetables are available on the Indian Railways website. Trains arrive at Hospet station, which is 13 kilometres from Hampi. The village itself can be reached by taxi or motorbike rickshaw.
Bus
Those arriving by bus, on the other hand, get off right in the village. Hampi has bus services to the cities of Bangalore and Panaji of Goa province. The bus spends 8 hours on the journey. Tickets purchased online are half the price of those purchased at tourist offices.
With tour
Hampi from Goa is most conveniently visited on a two-day tour, which also includes a visit to the Rama and Shiva temples at Malyavant Hill. The combined tour includes transfers, accommodation in a three-star hotel, tickets to the temples, breakfasts and the services of a Russian-speaking guide. The cost is 80-110 USD.
Travel Tips
The best time to visit the monuments of Hampi is October - March with acceptable daytime temperatures of 25-27 degrees Celsius. In summer, a hat and a water bottle are mandatory to neutralise the heat from the stone monoliths heated by the sun."
Near the village of Hampi there are swamps "exporting" many mosquitoes. You should take repellents to protect yourself from them.
The monuments of Hampi are spread over a considerable area without vegetation. Sightseeing on foot is almost impossible, especially in summer under the scorching sun. Renting a bicycle, travelling on which over the hilly terrain is physically tiring, is not a solution. It is recommended to hire a scooter (motor scooter). Hiring a tuk-tuk (motorised tuk-tuk) is a more expensive option. In both cases, it is worth buying a map of the area to avoid getting lost. It is even better to take a tour guide as a travelling companion at the tourist office.
Hampi temples should be entered undressed. It is advisable to wear the socks you brought with you to protect yourself from fungal infection.
The temples of Hampi should be entered undressed.
