Much has been said in print and other media about Hampi. Such adulation over a period of time can sound the death-knell for most places. Not Hampi. Actually, it gets you thinking if it might be the other extreme with Hampi. There's an aura of mystery that hangs about the place and uncloaking it might not be achieved no matter how many trips one makes. This is a paradox in itself for the sunshine, while not harsh (definitely not if done during the rainy season : June to Sep), still is something to reckon with. I find it hard to imagine Hampi at a pleasant 25 degrees or thereabouts. The sun (indicative of what's to come when one journeys into the Deccan) bares the place to the last detail for all to see, yet one isn't quite able to decipher what the place stands for. This definitely isn't the case with say, the Chennakeshava Temple at Somanathapur, one among the numerous Hoysala masterpieces. Situated further south (much further), it eluded the marauding hand and as such stands as another paean to Hoysala art.
That said, it might be a good idea to tour Hampi with a good guide-book in hand, not one filled with photographs but one that recounts the story of Hampi as it should be told. Else, the sheer scale of things at Hampi might result in one walking around dazed and dwarfed. We (my Uncle and I) acquired one towards the evening of the first day, but couldn't manage what I've recommended though. We could only read parts of it and I must say it definitely helped. The book in question is 'Hampi in Ruins' by A H Longhurst, an account of the various styles of monuments produced during the reign of the Vijayanagar empire. Like any well-researched work, it also considers the influences behind their evolution. Very understated, it is objective for the most part and rarely intrudes to comment. It is available in its entirety at http://www.ncra.tifr.res.in/~yogesh/hampihistory.html. The first section is worth a casual read for anyone, irrespective of whether they have plans to visit Hampi in near future or not. The author recommends Robert Sewell's 'A Forgotten Empire : Vijayanagar' as the seminal work on Hampi.
The presence of two hubs named 'Royal Centre' and 'Sacred Centre' inevitably leads to a bifurcation of tourists. 'Royal Centre', a sprawling area with numerous monuments among which 'Queen's Bath', 'Hazara Rama Temple', and 'Zenana Enclosure' (once a secluded area for the womenfolk of Vijayanagar) are the famous ones, is the more touristy of the two hubs. Offering a varied fare, it attracts throngs of people seeking to impose themselves on the place and this can mar one's impression of some of the monuments here. 'Queen's Bath' is probably the most overrated (and as a consequence the most photographed as well) monument at Hampi. If you want to have a quiet time of it, head for the other hub, 'Sacred Centre'.
The 'Sacred Centre', has the imposing Virupaksha Temple as its centre, and is dotted with temples and monuments amidst huge boulders strewn across rocky terrain, forming a landscape that is alternatively surreal and fertile to look at. This, of course, is charted by the path of the Tungabhadra river. All this has led to Hampi acquiring the 'out of this world' tag. For starters, nothing here is even remotely small. Though there are sculptures that does remind one of Hoysala art, as far as size goes, it doesn't compare with the minute carvings that dominate a Hoysala temple. The Vijayanagari motto might well have been 'Think big, execute to perfection'. This is also borne out by accounts of the reign of Krishna Deva Raya, also the golden period and the zenith of the Vijayanagar empire. One can encounter a huge 'Kadelakalu Ganesha', a 'Sasivekalu Ganesha', a graphic rendition of 'Lakshmi Narasimha', the 'Badava Linga' and the huge 'Basavanna Nandi'.
While the intention of such scupltures is manifest in many ways, the true legacy of Hampi lies in not one but three temples - the Achyutarama Temple, the Vittala Temple and the Krishna Temple. If the Achyutaraya temple ruins are accessed via the hill at whose base the 'Basavanna Nandi' is situated, the effect is akin to literally stumbling upon a long-lost place. The 'Soolai Bazaar' links the Achyutaraya temple to the Vittala Temple, King's Balance etc on one side and an Anjaneya temple along with a Rama temple on the other, all along the banks of the Tungabhadra. Achyutaraya was also the name of Krishna Deva Raya's younger brother and succeeded him. Reading Longhurst's account, it appears that his manner of running an empire may have sowed the seeds for the destruction of Vijayanagara.
The Vittala temple is, without doubt, the highlight of Hampi. Albeit incomplete, it feels the most complete of the lot and features the stone chariot. The Krishna Temple features scenes from Krishnaleela on scuplture and is a must-see. It's best not to have a rigid agenda for any of these places, for one can never tell which place will capture one's fancy.
Before I end, here are a few tips of use for the budding traveller to Hampi.
Hampi rules.
That said, it might be a good idea to tour Hampi with a good guide-book in hand, not one filled with photographs but one that recounts the story of Hampi as it should be told. Else, the sheer scale of things at Hampi might result in one walking around dazed and dwarfed. We (my Uncle and I) acquired one towards the evening of the first day, but couldn't manage what I've recommended though. We could only read parts of it and I must say it definitely helped. The book in question is 'Hampi in Ruins' by A H Longhurst, an account of the various styles of monuments produced during the reign of the Vijayanagar empire. Like any well-researched work, it also considers the influences behind their evolution. Very understated, it is objective for the most part and rarely intrudes to comment. It is available in its entirety at http://www.ncra.tifr.res.in/~yogesh/hampihistory.html. The first section is worth a casual read for anyone, irrespective of whether they have plans to visit Hampi in near future or not. The author recommends Robert Sewell's 'A Forgotten Empire : Vijayanagar' as the seminal work on Hampi.
The presence of two hubs named 'Royal Centre' and 'Sacred Centre' inevitably leads to a bifurcation of tourists. 'Royal Centre', a sprawling area with numerous monuments among which 'Queen's Bath', 'Hazara Rama Temple', and 'Zenana Enclosure' (once a secluded area for the womenfolk of Vijayanagar) are the famous ones, is the more touristy of the two hubs. Offering a varied fare, it attracts throngs of people seeking to impose themselves on the place and this can mar one's impression of some of the monuments here. 'Queen's Bath' is probably the most overrated (and as a consequence the most photographed as well) monument at Hampi. If you want to have a quiet time of it, head for the other hub, 'Sacred Centre'.
The 'Sacred Centre', has the imposing Virupaksha Temple as its centre, and is dotted with temples and monuments amidst huge boulders strewn across rocky terrain, forming a landscape that is alternatively surreal and fertile to look at. This, of course, is charted by the path of the Tungabhadra river. All this has led to Hampi acquiring the 'out of this world' tag. For starters, nothing here is even remotely small. Though there are sculptures that does remind one of Hoysala art, as far as size goes, it doesn't compare with the minute carvings that dominate a Hoysala temple. The Vijayanagari motto might well have been 'Think big, execute to perfection'. This is also borne out by accounts of the reign of Krishna Deva Raya, also the golden period and the zenith of the Vijayanagar empire. One can encounter a huge 'Kadelakalu Ganesha', a 'Sasivekalu Ganesha', a graphic rendition of 'Lakshmi Narasimha', the 'Badava Linga' and the huge 'Basavanna Nandi'.
While the intention of such scupltures is manifest in many ways, the true legacy of Hampi lies in not one but three temples - the Achyutarama Temple, the Vittala Temple and the Krishna Temple. If the Achyutaraya temple ruins are accessed via the hill at whose base the 'Basavanna Nandi' is situated, the effect is akin to literally stumbling upon a long-lost place. The 'Soolai Bazaar' links the Achyutaraya temple to the Vittala Temple, King's Balance etc on one side and an Anjaneya temple along with a Rama temple on the other, all along the banks of the Tungabhadra. Achyutaraya was also the name of Krishna Deva Raya's younger brother and succeeded him. Reading Longhurst's account, it appears that his manner of running an empire may have sowed the seeds for the destruction of Vijayanagara.
The Vittala temple is, without doubt, the highlight of Hampi. Albeit incomplete, it feels the most complete of the lot and features the stone chariot. The Krishna Temple features scenes from Krishnaleela on scuplture and is a must-see. It's best not to have a rigid agenda for any of these places, for one can never tell which place will capture one's fancy.
Before I end, here are a few tips of use for the budding traveller to Hampi.
- Stay at Hampi. This is in order to avoid travel times to Hospet (the nearest town, 16 kms away and connected by rail and road to Bangalore, the Hampi Express 6592 from Bangalore reaches Hospet at 07:45 and 6591 bound for Bangalore arrives at Hospet at 20:50). This can be done at the cute guesthouses that one may find to the right of the Virupaksha temple all the way upto the Tungabhadra. They offer neat rooms that take care of one's basic needs.
- Those who simply cannot do without the mobile phone may find Hampi a frustrating place as far as connectivity is concerned for there are very few places where one can find atleast minimum connectivity. One of these is a spot on the bank of the Tungabhadra. This can be reached by travelling to the West end of the Hampi Bazaar (the arterial road that features the Virupaksha temple at the West end and the Basavanna Nandi at the other) right upto the gopuram of the Virupaksha temple. Take a right before entering and follow the paved path with shops featuring curios, general stores, restaurants and the only guesthouses in Hampi. A few paces after the Suresh Guest House one can see the Tungabhadra come into view.
- Hiring a cycle requires good fitness levels and usually one finds only foreigners doing that. One the other hand a bike/taxi/auto-rickshaw isn't needed within the centres (Sacred and Royal). From 'Sacred' to 'Royal' it's a 3 km walk and here one may use an auto-rickshaw. We used the auto twice - Hospet to Hampi and back.
- The Sangameshwara restaurant on the Hampi Bazaar features the best food (comparatively speaking, Hampi offers pedestrian fare) and as such finds itself recommended to tourists in the 'Lonely Planet' travel guide series. All of them offer palatable Chapathi with Sabzi. It's best to stick to simple food items inspite of the menu featuring most of the items that one is likely to find in a city-based restaurant.
It's useful to equip oneself with the following : a sun-hat (some of the shops on the Hampi Bazaar sell 'em. Try not to settle for a normal cap), sunglasses (if needed, might be a necessity in summer), provision for water (although you'll find people selling coconut water, mineral water etc at the at the likeliest and the oddest of places, it's always best to carry water - particularly if one is walking from Sacred to Royal centre or vice-versa), light clothing and all those items that apply for a jaunt under sunny conditions.
Hampi rules.
4 comments:
Thanks for the link to the Longhurst book.
Well, this is a place which has been eluding the holiday agenda for a long time...Your impressions in the blog,apart from being a treat[ise] on travelogue writing, kindle in us a desire to visit it instantly.In addition to the books by Longhurst et al, you yourself can give your insights into the ruins of Hampi as an Indian.
Suresh & Jyoti
20 years since my own trip to Hampi, unfortunately no written record survives. Kudos on taking care to do that. I may have mentioned the trip in some long lost letter but no memory lingers. No blogging options available then, but that is no excuse.
It was my first introduction to the concept of the World Heritage Site, a concept that I understand much better now. See listing here
"Seeking to impose themselves on the place", indeed. How do they do that? Or, conversely, how do they avoid doing that?
-Venkatesh
very comprehensive. The Sun seems a daunting prospect though :)
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