Travel: Explore the Ancient & Rocky Ruins of Hampi, India

Entry #2400, May 9, 2013

Hampi, India maybe a small town, but you will find that a day is not enough to spend in your travel there. The land of Hampi holds the past of the ancient Vijaynagar Empire. Located in Karnataka, Hampi is 353 km away from Bangalore, the IT capital of India. There are only two routes to arrive in Hampi. One is by road, the other is you take a train to Hospet, a small railway station and from there head by road to Hampi. What you will find at Hampi is a tale of an ancient empire, pieced together by temples, palaces, ancient structures, stones, more stones and hills filled with stones, leaving you feeling eerie and wanting more. You will want to spend at least three to four days to see all that this ancient town has to offer.

Find this at the Vittala Temple

Image Via Flickr

There are many temples to visit such as Vittala Temple, Virupaksha Temple and Krishna Temple. The Vittala temple is dedicated to Vittala, a Hindu God. It has a large campus which has many halls and shrines. The pillars in the halls have vivid carvings. A stone chariot pulled by elephants, welcomes you at the entrance of the main temple. Listen for the musical pillars at the main temple which resonate with different sounds when tapped. If you hire a guide, ask him to play a tune for you!

One of the oldest active temples in India

Image Via Flickr

The Virupaksha Temple is the located near the Tungabhadra’s riverside in Hampi. This is considered as one of the oldest active temples in India. It is a tapering structure filled with delicate carvings on the stone. Each carving tells a historical or mythological tale. Krishna Temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. It was built by a king after his victorious campaign in Orissa and many of the carvings of the temple depict his battles.

If you are a history buff you will love the Royal Enclosure. This is where you will find the Royal Palace of the yesteryears’ royalty of Hampi. You will find Mahanavami Dibba, the platform from which the Kings used to sit. From Mahanavami Dibba, you will get overview of the whole Royal Enclosure. The waterworks’ structures and underground temples are worth a check. The Zeena enclosure – a structure that was restricted for royal women, the Lotus Palace – home to the royal ladies, the Queen’s Bath – the Queen’s private swimming pool, the Hazara Rama Temple – the private temple for the King and the elephant stables will transport you back in time

And if all the stone and granite is too much stone for you, you can take a break by visiting Daroji Bear Sanctuary. 15km away from Hampi, this sanctuary is dedicated for the protection of sloth bears. In addition to that, leopards, hyena, jackals, wild boars, porcupine and more wildlife can be found. The sanctuary has a special watch position from which you can spot animals.

Lotus Mahai Hampi India

Image via: Flickr

The Gagan Mahal, or Old Palace as it is known, is one of oldest Palace of the Kings of Hampi. It is small and for most it may not impress. However, what is interesting is that not far from there, in a little hut in one of the nearby gullies and lanes, lives the last of Hampi royalty. Before leaving, don’t forget to drop by Hampi Bazaar where you can pick up miniature sculptures.

Discover the ruins of Hampi, India

Image via: Hayley Writes It

The first historical settlement in Hampi is known to date back to 1BCE. It is an amazing fact that so many structures still remain. Yet many of them are in ruins. If you will climb up any of the hills, you will find the landscape littered with stones, all of them ruins of old buildings, a shadow of the once flourishing empire. These are some of the structures that you must see, yet there are so many more. Just head on over there, and discover it for yourself.

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