Sometimes we wonder what is the purpose of our existence in this world; as we perish in the sands of time, will our name still remain? Will people remember who we were and what we have done? Well, you would feel these questions melting away as you walk through the exalting past captured in the structures and monuments of Hampi, where every single piece of rock has a story of its own. It is here we realise that our name is just an illusion; what matters is our contributions to the society, whether big or small, that shape up the lives of the future generations and inspires them to do something even better; something extraordinary. Who were the people responsible for such intricate carvings, the people who made a grand city out of nothing but rocks and boulders working tirelessly and patiently carving out the rocks elaborately, we may never come to know. Nevertheless, their names may be forgotten but their legacy still lives on; their hard work and ingenuity still lives on; inspiring us even today.
Hampi, located in northern Karnataka, used to be one of the richest and largest cities in its prime, is no less than an architectural and historical wonder; a city carved out rocks and boulders; a city that still stands grand as ever surrounded by the same rocks and boulders. The city has a rich and profound history; the first human settlements date back to 1 CE and what is even more interesting is the fact that this region was once a part of the great Ashokan Empire back in the 3rd century BCE.
Hampi lies within the ruins of the city of Vijaynagara, the capital of the great Vijaynagara Empire. The major architecture that still remains belongs to the Vijaynagara period but one can find monuments dating back to the Chalukyan period and Jain architecture also.
Hampi lies within the ruins of the city of Vijaynagara, the capital of the great Vijaynagara Empire. The major architecture that still remains belongs to the Vijaynagara period but one can find monuments dating back to the Chalukyan period and Jain architecture also.
Prior to the rise of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Hoysala Empire was quite prominent in South India, rich in architecture and culture, its growing prosperity attracted the foreign invaders. The Empire was first crippled by Alauddin Khalji and then decimated by Mohammed bin Tughlaq, both of whom had pillaged and destroyed the kingdom which eventually led to the downfall of the Hoysala dynasty.
This was not the end of the Khalji and Tughlaq dynasty hostilities, the kingdom of Kampili was next. The Hindu women of Kampili committed Jauhar as soon they realised that the war was lost. Mohammed bin Tughlaq, yet again became the destroyer of another Hindu Kingdom. But this was not the end of Kampili Kingdom; the Vijaynagar empire arose from the ashes like a phoenix from the ruins of the Kampili Kingdom and became one of the most prosperous Hindu empires, lasting over two centuries.
Vijaynagar Empire in its glory was the second largest medieval city after Beijing and probably the richest in India. The rulers were keenly investing in public infrastructure and agriculture, the magnificence of their architecture was widely known and the prosperity of the empire attracted traders from faraway places. The empire boasted of an immensely powerful army which could not be easily defeated, thus, the Muslim Sultanates formed a coalition to beat the unbeatable. It was at the Battle of Talikota in 1565, where the last king of Vijaynagar was beheaded and the pillaging and destruction of the empire continued for another six months, and when all was looted, it was left in ruins, thus bringing an end to the mighty and glorious kingdom and its abandonment.
Travel Guide
Hampi is quite literally huge and exploring the whole site can take days as it is spread over 26km square, no wonder UNESCO describes it as an “austere, grandiose site”. There are around 1600 remains of the last great Hindu kingdom scattered around Hampi. To make it simple, we are going divide the site into two parts:
- Hampi - South of the Tungabhadra river covering all the major historical monuments (awe-inspiring for architecture buffs)
- Anegundi - North of the Tungabhadra river (a delightful place for cycling and exploring the lesser explored site which older than Hampi and definitely an amazing spot for chilling!)
1. Hampi
Exploring the southern part of the Tungabhadra river can take a considerable time as there is so much to see and learn. Ideally one should hire a guide if they seek to have a better perspective and understanding about the vast history of the structures surrounding the site. Walking or cycling is the best way to explore Hampi as the whole site is spread out as an open museum but the place can get quite hot in the summer. The most notable structures include the Virupaksha temple, Hampi bazaar, Narasimha temple, Hazara Ram temple, the Stone Chariot at Vithala temple, Elephant stables, Lotus Mahal, to name a few.
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| Intricate wall paintings |
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| Elephant stables |
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| Narasimha |
2. Anegundi
North of the Tungabhadra river lies Anegundi, regarded as the old capital of the Vijanagara Empire and its history predates that of Hampi. It is believed that Kishkinda, the Kingdom of Monkeys existed here, which is so elaborately described in the great epic of Ramayana. Lord Rama and Lakshman reached out to Hanuman and Sugriva in Kishkinda, to help them find and rescue Sita.
Legend has it that this was the place where Parvati finally managed to pursue Lord Shiva to get married to her after several failed attempts. It was on the banks of Tungabhadra river, where Parvarti made Lord Shiva give up his ascetic way of life. Thus, the river came to be known as Pampa river (Pampa is another name of Parvati). The Sanskrit word Pampa transformed into the Kannada word Hampa with the passage of time and the region where Parvati pursued Lord Shiva came to be known as the present day Hampe or Hampi.\
Anegundi is being developed as a tourist spot and is also a UNESCO world heritage site like Hampi. Although, most of the tourists visit the southern part of Tungabhadra river i.e. Hampi, Anegundi is actually the place you would want to be at once you are done exploring the spectacular structures of Hampi. To get to Anegundi, one needs to hop onto a very cheap ferry service available from the Hampi side of the Tungabhadra river, which runs from morning till probably six in the evening, thus making it imperative to catch the last ferry to Hampi in case you are not staying in that area.
Once you cross the river towards Anegundi, it is advisable to rent a bicycle if you truly want a wholesome experience, if not, then mopeds and motorcycles are also available at a fair price, the trick here is to bargain to get the best deal. After that is sorted, head out to one of the cool restaurants lining up the area to relax and chill for a while, my pick is the Laughing Buddha restaurant as it offers a great view of the Virupaksha temple complex, you can simply enjoy the view, read a book maybe and have a cold beer to go with it (unexpected for a place like this). Other restaurants that are worth a try are the Mango Tree, Funky Monkey, Waves and Taste of Hampi. All these restaurants have a great ambiance and food is quite decent too.
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| View from the Laughing Buddha restaurant |
Anegundi has its own fair share of temples and monuments to visit but the following three must not be missed for their significance and beauty:
- Anjana Matha Temple on Anjanadri Betta
Believed to be the birthplace of Hanuman, some five hundred steps or so take you to the top the Anjanadri Betta or hill to a tiny Hanuman temple, with monkeys frolicking around and offering breathtaking panoramic views of Hampi, a must visit spot indeed.
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| Panoramic view from the top of Anjanadri Betta |
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| View from the steps leading to the Hanuman Temple |
- Pampa Sarovar
Pampa Sarovar is about a kilometer away from the Hanuman Temple. It is one of the five sacred lakes according to the Hindu mythology, the five lakes collectively known as 'Panch Sarovar', the other four being the Mansarovar, Bindu Sarovar, Pushkar Sarovar and Narayan Sarovar, as mentioned in the Shrimad Bhagvata Purana.
Legend has it that Parvati pursued Lord Shiva at the banks of Tungabhadra river to marry her. At Shiva was oblivious of the fact that Parvati wanted to marry him as being an ascetic he was in a deep meditative state. Thus, Parvati reaches out to the gods to get his attention. In turn, Indra sends Kama to awaken Shiva from his meditative state, Kama shoots Shiva with an arrow of desire, unfortunately making Shiva open his third eye and burning Kama to the ground (poor Kama!!). Parvati still doesn't give up and starts to lead an ascetic life herself, eventually getting Shiva's attention . Shiva disguises himself and meets Parvati in an attempt to discourage her by telling her about Shiva's weaknesses. Parvati pays no heed to all that (even gods can't convince women!) and Shiva comes to an understanding that no matter what he does, she won't give, and finally decides to marry her. It was at this lake probably where Lord Shiva gave up his ascetic life and the lake was named Pampa after Parvati.
Legend also has it that this was the place where Lord Rama and Lakshman met Shabri on their journey towards Lanka to rescue Sita, who further directed them to seek help from Hanuman and Sugriva.
Pampa Sarovar is filled with lotuses throughout the year and it is a spectacle to watch when the lotuses bloom.
- Sanapur Lake
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| Cycling through Anegundi |
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| Sanapur Lake |
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| Crocodiles?! |
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Traversing through Anegundi would leave you spellbound but wait there's still more. It would be a loss if you don't get to experience the sunset on the ferry ride back to Hampi.
- Getting There
Hampi is located 13kms away from the town of Hospet.
It is at a distance of 266kms from Hyderabad and 376kms from Bangalore.
Plenty of buses operated by KSRTC are available from Bangalore and Mysore.
Hospet is also well connected by rail too.
Getting an auto from Hospet to Hampi is a piece of cake and fairly cheap too.
Hospet is also well connected by rail too.
Getting an auto from Hospet to Hampi is a piece of cake and fairly cheap too.
- Interesting Facts
- The ruins of Hampi were first surveyed in 1800 by a Scottish Colonel named Colin Mackenzie, the first Surveyor General of India.
- Hampi was the second largest medieval city after Beijing and the richest in Inida in its prime.
- It is believed that Lord Rama and Lakshman met Hanuman for the first time at Anegundi, the old capital of the Vijanagara Empire.
- Hampi is derived from Pampa, Parvati's other name as it is believed that Parvati managed to pursue Lord Shiva to marry her at the banks of Tungabhadra river.
- The Vijaynagara Empire came to an end after the Battle of Talikota in 1565.
