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Hampi : 25th-28th August 2005

Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire (1336CE -1565CE) and was renowned for its architecture. When the empire fell to islamic invaders the city was ravaged and much of it was destroyed. Some city structures and temples survived the war and today they are cared for by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI). I wanted to visit Hampi and see (what is left of) the magnificient architecture of the period firsthand. This long weekend proved to be the most opportune moment.

Travel and stay

Getting to Hampi

We dropped off our luggage in the hotel room and after a quick chai we were ready to head off to Hampi. Hampi is approximately 14 Kms from Hospet. There are several options to get there. Taxi or an autorickshaw are the common ones. A third option is to rent a bicycle and pedal to each site. This option seems to be the preferred mode of transport for most foreign tourists. We hired a taxi to get to Hampi (arranged by the hotel staff). Taxi rentals run about Rs. 850 a day with a 100 Km limit on usage. Taxi owners do not rent vehicles by the hour or for part of the day. The drive from Hospet to Hampi takes about 30 minutes. The road is not great especially if it has rained the previous day. However, the route is scenic and dotted with fields of karumbu and vazhai.

Hampi

We got this map from two kindly old mamas with a penchant for Aurobindo philosophy. They own a bookstall on the main approach to the Virupaksha temple. Its worth browsing through the store if you are looking for books about Hampi's history or architecture.

Hampi ruins are scattered across 28 square kilometers. The map above shows all of the sites at Hampi. If you want a really quick tour it can probably be done in a day. A detailed tour will probably take a few days. We spent only two days there and visited a few of the major sites -- Virupaksha temple, Vitthala temple, and the Hazara Rama temple.

Virupaksha Virupaksha main gopuram	Pooja is not conducted at any of the temples in Hampi because the idols have been defaced. At the Virupaksha temple alone pooja is performed at one of the sannidhis. The entry fee is Rs. 10 per person, Rs. 25 for a picture camera, and an extortionate Rs. 500 for a video camera. This temple, like most others at Hampi, has stunningly beautiful architecture. The main gopuram is 160 feet high and has carvings of various deities. The smaller gopuram is decorated with intricate pillars and domes. Perhaps this design drew elements from Islamic architecture. Regardless, this gopuram is unlike any other that I have seen in south India.	Virupaksha smaller gopuram

Virupaksha mandapam	This temple pre-dates the Vijayanagar kingdom ("Hampi Ruins Described and Illustrated", A. H. Longhurst). Several additions were made by Harihara I, the founder of Vijayanagar, and later kings. Inside the temple a small corridor/walkway (prakaram) runs along the perimeter. The pillars along this corridor have a reddish tinge and seem to be of a different stone than the pillars in the mandapam. Both sets of pillars stand 10-15 feet high and appear to be carved out of a single block of stone. The pillars are adorned with carvings of yalis and mounted riders of some sort.	Virupaksha prakaram

This temple, like many others, has a resident elephant. The elephant looks pretty old but seems well cared for. If you give him some change the mahout will instruct the elephant to bless you. My father tells me that at other temples the elephant will bless people by spitting with its snout. Yes, you read that correctly - one can pay to get spit on by an elephant! Well this elephant had no such ideas. He took the coins I offered with his trunk and gave me a gentle tap on the head.

Monkeys are all over the place in this temple and they are very habituated to people. Some of them are probably fearless enough to grab things from visitors. One (small) monkey grabbed my fathers legs but let go when shooed it away.

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