Hampi

I recently had to write about one of my travel destinations for my office magazines. Reproducing it here on the blog as well...

Hampi – A UNESCO World Hertiage Site

Last year I travelled to Hampi during the winter and unarguably had one of the most culturally enlightening trips of my life. Hampi is a village in northern Karnataka state, India. It was the 14th-mid 15th century capital of the Vijayanagara empire and is the world's largest living UNESCO heritage site.

The rickshaw ride from Hospet train station will give you hints very early on what’s in store - a temple here, a large rock there. But nothing prepares you for what you see in Hampi - gigantic boulders arranged as if with geometric precision, ancient water ways and of course the ruins of temples and palaces, harking back to a magical kingdom that your grandma's stories always began with. By day two of my stay in Hampi, on a ride back to my hotel on a deserted road, I could swear I saw one of those couples etched in stone on a nearby temple scampering across the road.
Though the temple ruins spread across a 26 square kilometre areas date back to the 14 century Vijayanagar empire, the mythology goes back to Lord Shiva and the monkey kingdom of Kishkinda , that features in the Ramayana.

Though nothing – not even the pictures – can put into perspective the sheer grandeur of it all, I am sharing some images below to give an idea of what you can expect when in Hampi.

1) Virupaksha temple


The Virupaksha temple is located at the foot of the hill called Hemakuta hill is the core of the village of Hampi. The temple, often called Pampapathi temple, is the most sacred of the temples of this place. The temple contains the shrines of Lord Shiva, Pampa and Bhuvaneshwari. We were witness to even a small marriage ceremony in the temple precincts when we visited there.

2) Hampi Bazaar

Starting at the entrance of the temple is Virupaksha Bazaar or market, largest of the many bazaars of Vijayanagara. Each major Temple complex had its own bazaar around which a township developed. This is the only bazaar around which a township of a sort still exists. Domingo Paes said of Hampi bazaar in 1520: "There is a very beautiful street of very beautiful houses with balconies and arcades, in which are sheltered the pilgrims that come to the temple"

3) Tribals having their stores and living across Hampi Bazaar

Some structures from Hampi bazaar still survive to this day, but many have been taken over by squatters or hawkers. And, inside a 16th century colonnaded arcade, one is likely to find a tea shop or a telephone booth. Here we see a group of tribal artisans living within the Hampi bazaar

4) Achyutraya temple – View from the Hemakuta hills

Achyutaraya Temple is a large complex built by an officer of the King Achyutaraya, Salakaraju Tirumaladeva.

Following is a view of the temple complex from Hemakuta hills at night time


5) Ugra Narasimha

This image of Lakshmi-Narasimha, popularly called Ugranarasimha, meaning Narasimha of terrifying countenance. Originally, the icon bore a smaller image of Lakshmi sitting on his lap, which fell off due to an act of vandalism and is now housed in the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) museum in Hampi. Narasimha with an articulately chiseled and well delineated mane and large bulging eyes and broad chest still retains His awesome charm. He is seated on the coils of the snake Adisesha, who rises behind him with seven hoods, which serve as a canopy.

6) Vitthala temple

Any number of words would fail to do justice to this wonderful monument dedicated to Lord Vitthala or Lord Vishnu. Legend has it that Lord Vishnu found it too grand to live in and thus returned to his own humble home. The Vitthala temple respresents the highest watermark of the Vijayanagara style of art and architecture. Vitthala is the Krishna aspect of Lord Vishnu. The cult of Vitthala or Vithoba, originates from Pandharpur in Southern Maharashtra. Although associated today with Krishna, Vitthala was worshipped in pre-Vijayanagara times as a folk god of cattle

7) Stone Chariot

The Stone Chariot is situated inside the Vitthala temple complex. By far, this is the most amazing monument in Hampi and is often portrayed as the icon for Hampi. Stone chariot has stone wheels which some believe actually rotate. The chariot is a miniature temple. It resembles the temple chariots or rathas in which the idols of the temple are taken out on a traditional procession.

8) Lotus Mahal or Kamal Mahal

This two storied palace, is one of the finest examples of Indo-Islamic architecture, with its typically Hindu base and Islamic superstructure. The palace has nine pyramidal cupolas or shikharas on the second story of which the central one is the largest. The patterns on the arches are typically Islamic in influence.


9) Hazaara Raama temple

This temple for Lord Rama is popularly called "Hazara Rama Temple" because of the large number of Ramayana panels on the walls. This temple is believed to have been the private place of worship of the Royal family. The Ramayana epic is carved in detail. Incidents in the story like Dasaratha performing a sacrifice to beget sons, the birth of Rama, his exile into the forest, the abduction of Sita and the ultimate fight between Rama and Ravana are all carved in a vivid manner. In these panels, the story of Rama and through it the triumph of good over evil is brought out.