SwapnilJirageTravelPost: Hampi - the dream destination

http://travelindiathroughmyeyes.com/hampi-the-dream-destination/

rameshkabra

15–19 minutes

**Virupaksha temple gopuram captured from Hemkuta Hill**

It is very difficult to describe the beauty of Hampi in a single travelogue……. a book could be written on it …….Hampi is enchanting ………as you are transported to that golden period of Indian history …………Hampi charms you with its many delights ……as you roam around admiring its many hidden treasures and get mesmerized by its beauty ……..you willingly give way to its seducing ways ………you wander like a man possessed………..as you try to unravel its many mysteries……….. you start imagining being in those glorious period of history ……. you start hearing the chants of the hymns and the distant ringing of the temple bells, the neighing of the horses & trumpeting of the elephants reach your ears, the hustle & bustle of the colourful bazaars and the festivities & celebrations warm your hearts ……..you get awed by the magnificent & majestic palaces & temples ……….. the large & small boulders precariously perched, the swaying coconut trees, the green paddy fields, the banana & sugarcane plantations, the meandering river Tungabhadra………….the glorious sunrises and bewitching sunsets from the hill tops ……….. Hampi with its many hidden surprises slowly but surely casts its magical spell ……suddenly a sense of calm, peace & tranquility pervades you ………. you have that wonderful feeling that you have regained Paradise !!

Hampi , an UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Indian State of Karnataka has an irresistible charm – it has something exciting to offer to everyone – whether you are a historian, an archaeologist, an architecture lover, a temple lover, a spiritual person, a trekker, a backpacker, an explorer, a solo traveller, a mythology enthusiast or a nature lover – Hampi is truly a dream destination!!

Oh to be a solo traveller in a place I have been wanting to visit for a very very long time !! The feel of being transported to and reliving that period of the bygone era was exhilarating (in the 14th & 15th Centuries, the glory of Vijaynagar empire was at its zenith and it used to be among the largest, mightiest & most prosperous empires in the world)
Hampi, its capital, had a population of over 6 lakhs and the various bazaars were teeming & bustling with people and traders from far off places including other countries used to come to Hampi to trade in their ware. Historical evidence suggest that various dynasties like Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, Yadavas ruled the area around Hampi at various periods.

Hampi also has a mythological connection with Ramayana with this being called Kishkindha the monkey kingdom where Bali & Sugreeva used to rule and where Ram & Lakshman stayed for 4 months when they were in search of Sita.

I tried exploring it to my heart’s content for little over two days, as the vastness and grandeur of Hampi slowly engulfed me and I loved being soaked in its architectural marvel & mythological connection ! It was a childlike joy that I experienced as I roamed around the ruins of Hampi & trekked for some 18 to 20 kms !! I saw an innumerable number of temples, big & small, of various gods with majestic gopurams (some in dilapidated condition though), beautiful mandaps with amazing pillars & exquisite carvings, some monolithic sculptures, some interesting monuments like Queen’s bath, Lotus Mahal, Elephants’ stable, ruins of the old palaces, large Baori (step-well) with amazing water channeling net work of pipes. etc., climbed a couple of hills, took in some breathtaking scenes (the entire area is picturesque and in the salubrious climate in end December the view is surreal & captivating, intercepted with low lying hills made up of boulders of various sizes , perched on each other as if they would fall any moment but have stayed like that for time immemorial), my trip also included an exciting coracle ride (round boat) on Tungabhadra River with the boat maneuvering through rocky river bed to reach an unusual Hanuman temple on an island where I had to remove my shirt & Banian to get his darshan & blessings, explored few caves, ate local Karnataka food at road side joints, lost count of the number of times I drank tender coconut water & fresh sugarcane juice, relished the tasty bananas (the smaller version) & the raw mango pieces smeared with salt & red chilly powder !!

**Imposing Ganesh with a snake around his stomach**

**King’s platform near the palace ruins**

**Pushkarini Stepwell – Baori or water tank with steps**

**Gopuram of Vitthala temple in damaged condition**

**Intricately carved Nandi at a Shiva temple**

**Row of shops in Bazaar during Vijaynagar era**

**Hanuman in Chapatedaan Mudra with Ravan’s som AkshKumar under his feet**

Among the must visit places in Hampi are the imposing 7th century Virupaksha temple dedicated to Shiva ( renovated & expanded during the time of Vijayanagar Empire) which is still functional, the intricately carved Vijaya Vitthala temple dedicated to Vitthala form of Vishnu which has the famous ornate chariot & the musical pillars, the intricate carvings in Hazarrama temple & the Krishna temple.
Besides these temples, the famous landmark of Hampi is the monolithic Ugra Lakshmi Narasimha sculpture carved out of a single stone. Standalone sculptures of Ganesh, Baldavi Linga, & Hanuman also attract attention. These are well known & oft written structures of Hampi so I am only making a passing reference to them in my travelogue. My focus here is to take you to some lesser known & less visited but interesting spots of Hampi.

Ananthsayana Temple

Many visitors miss out on seeing the Ananthsayana temple at Hampi.
As one travels from Hospet to Hampi (distance of 14 kms), some 3 kms from Hospet is located the beautiful majestic temple of Anantasayna(Reclining Vishnu) which was built in 1524 by Vijayanagar King Krishnadevaraya in memory of his deceased son.
This temple has a vaulted dome in the shape of a wagon (rectangular shape) above the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) that is 30 metres high. This type of architecture is unusual as it was to house the very long reclining figure of Anantasayana (reclining Vishnu) !!
Today their is no deity inside the temple !

The Malyavanta Raghunath Temple

The Malyavanta Raghunath Temple which according to me is an important & interesting temple is not visited by many as it is little far away. The temple is located on Malyavanta Hill, hence it is called Malyavanta Raghunath Mandir !! Here the deities are inside a cave carved out of a boulder and while constructing the temple, the boulder has been preserved as you can see in one of my pics that the Shikhar has been built above the boulder keeping it intact!! Further, in this temple Ram & Laxman are in a sitting position as during their search for Sita, they had spent chaturmas (monsoon season) here in Kishkinda. They are without their customary bow & arrows ! The main eastern gate of the temple complex has a huge boulder in front of it. Adjacent to the Raghunath Temple there is a Mahalakshmi temple

Ram darbaar **Malyavanth Raghunath temple**

Entrance of **Malyavanth Raghunath temple**

Anegundi

Anegundi located on the other side of Tungabhadra river was the ancient capital of the Vijaynagar Empire.

One of the interesting things I did in Anegundi was a thrilling early morning 572 steps climb to the top of a rocky mountain with huge boulders perched upon each other, known as Anjanadri or Anjana Parvat which according to Hindu mythology is considered to be the birth place of Hanuman (there are at least 4 to 5 places in India that lay claim to being the birth place of Hanuman including Anjaneri, close to my own city – Nasik)! There is a temple dedicated to Hanuman and his mother at the peak of the mountain. The view from the top is breathtaking!! Looking at the topography and the description of Kisikandha in Ramayan, it is safe to assume that Anegundi was the birth place of Hanuman !

In a hidden picturesque valley in Anegundi lies a beautiful lake known as Pampa Sarovar which according to Hindu Puranas is one of the 5 sacred Sarovars revered by the Hindus (there are some who claim that Pampa Sarovar is in Gujarat). According to mythology there are several stories associated with this place. It is believed that Pampa, a form of Parvati did severe penance for several years on the banks of the Sarovar to show her devotion towards Shiva. It is also a belief that Shabari met Rama here after she waited for him for several decades at Matanga Ashram near this place. It is also said that Rama met Sugreeva & Hanuman near this lake !!
There are ancient cave temples of Shiva & Lakshmi near the Sarovar. I clicked the pics of some ancient statues inside the temple premises. I was not allowed to click the pics of the main deities.!! It has a couple of ancient cave temples. In a large pond near the temples, I sighted two turtles & a baby crocodile!!

**Cave temple sculptures at Pampa Sarovar**

Chintamani Shiva temple

An interesting & off-beat temple complex I visited was the Chintamani Shiva temple in Anegundi, on the banks of river Tungabhadra, little far from the main cluster areas of Hampi. Besides an ancient Shiva temple, there is a Hanuman temple & a Math here. There is a cave amidst large boulders which has a mythological connection. It is believed that Ram & Lakshman stayed in this cave and the meeting with Sugreev took place in this cave where he put forward the proposal to help in the search of Sita provided Ram killed Bali (Vali). The local people show us the spot from where Ram shot the arrow at Bali when he was engaged in a dual with Sugreev on the other side of Tungabhadra river between two hills. The river presents a beautiful sight as it takes a meandering path through the rocks !

**Cave in which Ram & Lakshman are believed to have spent 4 months**

**Tungabhadra river as seen from Chintamani temple**

**Foot steps believed to be that of Ram**

I also visited the Durga temple and the remnants of the old fort near it.

**These are tied on this tree for wish fulfilment at Durga temple**

**Restored wall & entrance of Anegundi fort**

One gets darshan of various gods & goddesses painted on the walls of ancient Ranganath Swamy temple at Anegundi near Hampi. This has a beautiful sculpture of Garud inside the complex and a chariot outside. Close by to this temple is the majestic structure of the old palace. The entry was closed as the restoration work was in progress.

**Old palace in Anegundi**
**Nava Brindavan Temple Complex**
An unusual wonderful experience –
not many visitors know of a place called Nava Brindavan (Nine Samadhis) in Hampi. It is located on a beautiful island in river Tungabhadra and one has to take a ferry (7 to 8 mins ride) to this island from Anegundi. After reaching the island one has to walk about 500 meters to this temple complex that contains the Samadhis of 9 Saints belonging to the various Mutts who were the followers of Madhavacharya. There are three ancient temples also – one temple is of Ranganath Swamy who is shown in reclining pose with his consort Lakshmi pressing his legs. The other two temples are of Hanuman – in one temple, oil is poured on the idol of Hanuman by the devotees. While the other temple has an unique idol of Hanuman known as Avathaarathraya – it depicts the three avatars – Hanuman, Bhima, Madhava in one form. The face is like Hanuman, the arms and shoulders well-rounded and muscular symbolise Bhima and the manuscripts in the hand symbolise Madhavacharya (unfortunately I was not allowed to take pic of this idol). The male devotees can take darshsan of the idol only bare-chested.
As per the prevalent legend, devotees who visit this place are blessed by the 9 saints and they can expect some miracle happening in their lives !!!

**Rangnath Swamy at Nava Brindavan temple complex**

**Hanuman at Nava Brindavan temple complex**

**Sky view through the ruins of a temple**

I love the above click of my Hampi trip. As I was exploring the ruined temples, in one of the temples when I peeped into the ‘Garbhagriha’, I found the ‘Shikhara’ ruined and it was open to the sky and presented an amazing view !!

While driving from Hospet to Hampi one passes a village called Kadirampura and on the outskirts of these village one can see a tomb & dargah on the right side. It is believed that it is from the 15th century but not much is known about who built them or whose graves are there inside them. One of the structures is roofless,open to the sky.

**Smoke from incense stick in a Shiva temple**

I was in Hampi from 28th to 30th December 2018 and stayed in a town called Hospet, 13 kms from Hampi that has a number of hotels in all ranges to cater to tourist of every budget. I had travelled by train that goes from Mumbai to Hospet twice a week. I had booked my room at Hotel Hampi International at walking distance from Hospet station that charged Rs3000/- per night inclusive of breakfast.

I had hired an Auto Rickshaw for 2 days at Hospet and the driver Ravi had a smiling face (just 30 years old with a one year old daughter Ishita). He doubled up as my guide too during those two days & after seeing my exuberance & interest took me to those unusual interesting sites listed above which are not on the regular tourist itinerary !!!

I had a delicious South Indian thali for lunch at the Mango Tree Restaurant in a wonderful thatched roof farm setting !!

**South Indian thali at Mango Tree restaurant**

The icing on top of this memorable visit was a trip to the highest point of the Tungabhadra dam at Hospet that afforded a majestic breathtaking sunset view!!

In the end while my mind was still yearning to explore but it had to yield before the demands of my legs !! I think one needs to spend at least 4 days in Hampi to do full justice to this magical place which is straight out of the fantasy world! And one should stay in one of the many options available in Hampi itself to save on time and also enjoy the mesmerizing sunrise.

My return train was at 2 am and since I had checked out of the hotel, I had to spend a couple of hours in the AC waiting room (surprisingly neat & comfortable) along with some other tourists waiting for the same train.

The nearest airport to Hampi is at Hubli (150 kms away). I understand Bellary which is 40 kms from Hampi was connected with Bangalore & Hyderabad by air last year.

Hospet is well connected with Bangalore by train & bus. There are train connections to Hospet from Mumbai and Goa too.

The best way to explore Hampi is either on cycle or motorcycle. One could also hire an auto rickshaw or cab. Many backpackers on shoestring budget explore it on foot too !!

The best period to visit Hampi is from mid November to mid February. It should be avoided during the summer months. Even in the last week of December the sun was scorching between 1 to 4 pm.

Hampi was ranked second among the must-see global destinations in the New York Times list for 2019.

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शिल्पकार की चतुराई : हम्पी विजय नगर साम्राज्य

चतुर शिल्पकार वही होता है जो निर्माण सामग्री व्यर्थ न होने दे। ऐसी ही कुछ शिल्पकार की चतुराई हमें हम्पी के विट्ठल मंदिर स्थित विष्णु रथ में दिखाई देती है। विष्णु रथ का निर्माण एकाश्म शिला की बजाय पृथक पृथक खंड में हुआ है। जैसे #काष्ठ रथ का निर्माण होता है उसी तरह प्रस्तर से इसका निर्माण प्रस्तर से किया गया है। यह रथ हम्पी का प्रतीक चिन्ह है। इसे देखकर ही समझ आ जाता है कि यह हम्पी है।

राजा कृष्णदेव राय के काल में हम्पी के विजय नगर साम्राज्य ने चतुर्दिक उन्नति की, हम कह सकते है कि यह विजय नगर के लिए स्वर्णकाल था। विशाल एवं भव्य निर्माण हुए जो हमें आज भी उस काल की याद दिलाते हैं। अगर दो दिन ठहर जाएं तो लगता है कि किसी नई दुनिया में आ गए। यहाँ के भव्य स्मारक व्यक्ति को टाईम मशीन में डाल कर उस काल तक पहुंचाने में सक्षम हैं।

हाँ तो मैं बात कर रहा था विष्णु रथ की। शिल्पकार की चतुराई हमें इसमे जुते हुए गजों के निर्माण में दिखाई देती है। हमको दिखाई दे रहा है कि विष्णु रथ को दो गज खींच रहे हैं। परन्तु रथ को गजों के द्वारा खींचते हुए निर्मित करना मुझे अन्य किसी स्थल के शिल्प में दिखाई नहीं दिया। गजों पर हौदा रखकर माननीयों की उसमें सवारी अवश्य दिखाई देती है।

अगर हम गज के पार्श्व भाग को ध्यान से देखें तो उसमें अश्व की पिछली टांगे दिखाई देती है। शिल्पकार अश्वों द्वारा खींचा जाने वाला रथ बना रहा था परन्तु किसी तकनीकि कारण या शिला शिल्प में दोष होने के कारण उसने आगे अश्वों की जगह गजों का निर्माण कर दिया।

लक्ष्मी पति होने के कारण विष्णु की लक्ष्मी सह गजारुढ़ प्रतिमाएँ या चित्र तो मिलते हैं पर गज रथ नहीं मिलता। शिल्पकार की इस चतुराई के कारण एक शिला व्यर्थ होने से बच गई और रथ को नवीन रुप मिलने के साथ उसके निर्माण का अर्थ ही बदल गया है। धन्य हैं ऐसे शिल्पकार, मैं उन्हें सादर नमन करता हूँ।