It was our independence day, 15th August '2013. The preparation was in full swing. The last moment packing and yes, food! We ordered Biriyani to-go for our night train journey. Our friends picked us up in a rented Sumo, and our journey started.
The journey to the station was anything but smooth. The famous Bangalore traffic made us wonder whether we will be able to catch the train at all. Thankfully the traffic moved, and we reached our destination - the Bangalore City station. On checking the schedule chart, we came to know that our train - Hampi Express, is delayed. All that tension was so unnecessary! Finally the train arrived and we embarked on our journey towards Hospet.
We reached Hospet at around 8 AM in the morning. We had booked the Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneshwari, the only hotel located within the World Heritage site area. After reaching the hotel in an auto, we freshened up and headed for breakfast. The KSTDC chain hotel was a normal budget hotel, with small but clean rooms, but like all the Government hotels, the location is perfect. We had proper English breakfast for all the 3 days in the hotel as it was the only option available, and there is no other hotel/restaurant available in this side of the river. All set, we started the sight-seeing for the magnificent historical town of architectural wonder that is Hampi. This write-up may come across as a class in history, but friends, it is Hampi, the epitome of history !!
Spread across 26 sq. km. lie the remains of the splendid medieval city of Hampi or Vijayanagara, the City of Victory. Bounded by the wide Tungabhadra river on one side and impassable craggy hills and ranges with massive boluders on the other side, the site offered natural defense which the rulers used to their great advantage. Hampi was the capital of the powerful Vijayanagara empire from AD 1343 to 1565. It is also said that this region was the mythical Kishkindha-kshetra from the Ramayana!
We selected auto rickshaw as our mode of transport. There are other modes available, such as rental cycles. The place can even be covered by foot, though you have to be a very good walker, and have to keep in mind the scorching sun. Luckily for us, we got a very pleasant cloudy weather on the first day of our stay.
Our first destination was the Hemkuta Parvata. This is a hillock made of huge boulders. The parvata hosts the pre-Vijayanagara constructions. The constructions from this period were made only with boulders. Bricks and plasters were used only later during the Viajayanagara reign.
The 360 degree view from this hillock will take you back in the Viajayanagara period. The architectural wonder on display, including the Virupaksha temple, is wonderful.
There are three temples next to Hemkuta - Badavilinga, Lakshmi Narasimha and Virupaksha temple. We started with the Badavilinga temple. Here we got our first taste of the exquisite architecture of these temples. Every nook and corner, every wall has some story to tell. The figurines of Shiva-Parvati, Ganesh, various incarnations of Vishnu depicting the level of craftsmanship. We headed towards the Narasimha temple next. There is a huge statue of Narasimha, which will definitely scare you with His eyes or the sheer size. This is the largest statue in Hampi. Narasimha (also referred to as Ugra Narasimha on the basis of the protruding eyes and facial expression) sitting on the coil of a giant seven-headed snake called Sesha. The heads of the snake act as the hood above His head. The original statue contained the image of Goddess Lakshmi sitting on His lap. But this statue has been damaged seriously during the raid leading to the fall of Vijayanagara.
Moving on, we turn another page in the history of Hampi, and visit the Deccan Muslim remnants. Though famous for its Hindu kingdom and architecture, Hampi has a rich demonstration of the Deccan Muslim rulers as well, This began with the Battle of Talikota in '1565. This was a watershed battle fought between the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire and the Islamic Deccan sultanates. The battle took place at Talikota (a town in northern Karnataka). The treacherous defeat of Vijayanagara Empire, followed subsequent desctruction and looting. This had had its impact on Hampi as well.
We can see some Indo-Islam architectures right next to the temples. Some of the famous ones being the Mohameddan Watch Tower, Band Tower and the Mosque.
Amidst this Muslim splendor lies the Lotus Mahal. A tour to Hampi is incomplete without visiting this Mahal, also called Kamal or Chitragani Mahal. The glorious building, identified by its lotus like structure, is within the Zenana Enclosure, a segregated area that was used by the royal women of Vijayanagara dynasty. A distinctive feature about the Zenana Enclosure is that it was a well-guarded place during the days of the Vijayanagara Empire. The fortified area has two entrances, one in the northern side and the other in the north-eastern side.The enclosure initially had four watch towers. But now, there are just three watch towers which are located in the eastern, south eastern and northern sides of the enclosure. The presence of these three watch towers indicate that the enclosure was a protected area that offered privacy to the royal women of the empire, including the Queen. It is believed that the watch towers and the whole enclosure were guarded by the eunuchs. These eunuchs prevented any male from entering the area. The Lotus Mahal is one of the handful of few astonishing building in Hampi that had not been damaged or destroyed amid the attack on the city.
Right next to the beautiful Mahal is the basement of Queen's Palace. The Queen’s Palace is a ruined structure that has only the basement as a proof of its existence. The basement is located in the centre of the Zenana Enclosure. It is the largest palace base excavated among the Hampi ruins so far.
Elephant stable is located in the area that lies just outside the Zenana enclosure. The elephant stable was constructed in the 15th century, to house the royal elephants of the Vijayanagara Empire. The elaborate structure indicates the importance attached to the royal elephants during those days. It also suggests the amazing craftsmanship of the artisans of that era. This is one of the finest examples of Indo-Islamic style of architecture.
By this time, we were pretty hungry, and decided to get back to the hotel to take a lunch break. We had traditional South Indian meal. The food was very tasty. I must say that we have been particularly happy with the food in the entire trip, with the taste and variety available to the tourists. After lunch, we continued with our sight-seeing. Our next destination was the Hazararama Temple.
The first thing that you notice in this temple is the wall of the temple. Probably this is the only temple in the capital with its external walls decorated with bas-reliefs of Ramayana stories in long arrays etched into the stones. The temple got its name Hazara Rama owing to the multitude of these Ramayana panels, including stories of Luv Kush, on its walls. This is not a huge temple by Hampi's yardstick, but this temple at the heart of the royal area has some peculiarities. Firstly, it had been functioning as a private temple for the king and the royal family. The importance of this temple can be judged from its nodal location in the royal area. Paths to various locations within the citadel concur at a corner of this temple.
The dusty path that connects the Royal enclosure with the Zenana enclosure passes along the temple courtyard. Right across the path of this temple is the Pan-Supari Bazar. During the imperial days of Vijayanagara this was a royal street that led to the palace. Much of it is ruined, and exists only in archaeological maps. The reason for such a unique name to this place is not known though.
The final destination for our first day's sight-seeing was Mahanavami Dibba. This is the tallest structure in the area, and visible as you enter the royal enclosure. From a distance it just looks like an elevated square with a beautiful all round view. However, a closer look depicts 3 layers of beautiful carvings of ornamentation from royal ceremony, city life to the erstwhile foreign envoys (Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese) to hunting scenes. King Krishnadevaraya constructed this in commemoration on the victory over Udaygiri (now in Odisha).
Next to the dibba, there is an awesome depiction of the advanced water management system that was in place, in the empire. There were channels for transferring water from a stepped tank to all the Pushkarinis in the vicinity.
With this we concluded our first day of the trip, and retired back to our hotel for a hot cup of tea accompanied with crispy pakodas! We had an early dinner and retired in our room for a round of movie.. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara! Wouldn't you say it is apt to be seen during a road trip with friends?!
Travel Tips:
1. Nearest domestic airport is Bellary.
2. Best option is to travel from Bangalore via Hampi Express from Bangalore City to Hospet station. Hampi is 13 kms via road from Hospet. Train leaves Bangalore city at 10:05 PM. It also stops at Malleswaram (10:14 PM) and Yeshvantpur (10:22 PM), reaching Hospet Jn. at 7:10 AM the next day.
3. Autos and cars are available outside Hospet station to take you to Hampi.
4. Stay: There is only one option on Hampi's side of Tungabhadra - Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneshwari.
You can stay near the Hippie settlement at the other side of the river. Lots of options are available over here.
5. Transport: Autos/Bikes/Cycles/By foot!
Courtesy:
To be continued.........
The journey to the station was anything but smooth. The famous Bangalore traffic made us wonder whether we will be able to catch the train at all. Thankfully the traffic moved, and we reached our destination - the Bangalore City station. On checking the schedule chart, we came to know that our train - Hampi Express, is delayed. All that tension was so unnecessary! Finally the train arrived and we embarked on our journey towards Hospet.
We reached Hospet at around 8 AM in the morning. We had booked the Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneshwari, the only hotel located within the World Heritage site area. After reaching the hotel in an auto, we freshened up and headed for breakfast. The KSTDC chain hotel was a normal budget hotel, with small but clean rooms, but like all the Government hotels, the location is perfect. We had proper English breakfast for all the 3 days in the hotel as it was the only option available, and there is no other hotel/restaurant available in this side of the river. All set, we started the sight-seeing for the magnificent historical town of architectural wonder that is Hampi. This write-up may come across as a class in history, but friends, it is Hampi, the epitome of history !!
Spread across 26 sq. km. lie the remains of the splendid medieval city of Hampi or Vijayanagara, the City of Victory. Bounded by the wide Tungabhadra river on one side and impassable craggy hills and ranges with massive boluders on the other side, the site offered natural defense which the rulers used to their great advantage. Hampi was the capital of the powerful Vijayanagara empire from AD 1343 to 1565. It is also said that this region was the mythical Kishkindha-kshetra from the Ramayana!
We selected auto rickshaw as our mode of transport. There are other modes available, such as rental cycles. The place can even be covered by foot, though you have to be a very good walker, and have to keep in mind the scorching sun. Luckily for us, we got a very pleasant cloudy weather on the first day of our stay.
Our first destination was the Hemkuta Parvata. This is a hillock made of huge boulders. The parvata hosts the pre-Vijayanagara constructions. The constructions from this period were made only with boulders. Bricks and plasters were used only later during the Viajayanagara reign.
The 360 degree view from this hillock will take you back in the Viajayanagara period. The architectural wonder on display, including the Virupaksha temple, is wonderful.
There are three temples next to Hemkuta - Badavilinga, Lakshmi Narasimha and Virupaksha temple. We started with the Badavilinga temple. Here we got our first taste of the exquisite architecture of these temples. Every nook and corner, every wall has some story to tell. The figurines of Shiva-Parvati, Ganesh, various incarnations of Vishnu depicting the level of craftsmanship. We headed towards the Narasimha temple next. There is a huge statue of Narasimha, which will definitely scare you with His eyes or the sheer size. This is the largest statue in Hampi. Narasimha (also referred to as Ugra Narasimha on the basis of the protruding eyes and facial expression) sitting on the coil of a giant seven-headed snake called Sesha. The heads of the snake act as the hood above His head. The original statue contained the image of Goddess Lakshmi sitting on His lap. But this statue has been damaged seriously during the raid leading to the fall of Vijayanagara.
Moving on, we turn another page in the history of Hampi, and visit the Deccan Muslim remnants. Though famous for its Hindu kingdom and architecture, Hampi has a rich demonstration of the Deccan Muslim rulers as well, This began with the Battle of Talikota in '1565. This was a watershed battle fought between the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire and the Islamic Deccan sultanates. The battle took place at Talikota (a town in northern Karnataka). The treacherous defeat of Vijayanagara Empire, followed subsequent desctruction and looting. This had had its impact on Hampi as well.
We can see some Indo-Islam architectures right next to the temples. Some of the famous ones being the Mohameddan Watch Tower, Band Tower and the Mosque.
Amidst this Muslim splendor lies the Lotus Mahal. A tour to Hampi is incomplete without visiting this Mahal, also called Kamal or Chitragani Mahal. The glorious building, identified by its lotus like structure, is within the Zenana Enclosure, a segregated area that was used by the royal women of Vijayanagara dynasty. A distinctive feature about the Zenana Enclosure is that it was a well-guarded place during the days of the Vijayanagara Empire. The fortified area has two entrances, one in the northern side and the other in the north-eastern side.The enclosure initially had four watch towers. But now, there are just three watch towers which are located in the eastern, south eastern and northern sides of the enclosure. The presence of these three watch towers indicate that the enclosure was a protected area that offered privacy to the royal women of the empire, including the Queen. It is believed that the watch towers and the whole enclosure were guarded by the eunuchs. These eunuchs prevented any male from entering the area. The Lotus Mahal is one of the handful of few astonishing building in Hampi that had not been damaged or destroyed amid the attack on the city.
Right next to the beautiful Mahal is the basement of Queen's Palace. The Queen’s Palace is a ruined structure that has only the basement as a proof of its existence. The basement is located in the centre of the Zenana Enclosure. It is the largest palace base excavated among the Hampi ruins so far.
Elephant stable is located in the area that lies just outside the Zenana enclosure. The elephant stable was constructed in the 15th century, to house the royal elephants of the Vijayanagara Empire. The elaborate structure indicates the importance attached to the royal elephants during those days. It also suggests the amazing craftsmanship of the artisans of that era. This is one of the finest examples of Indo-Islamic style of architecture.
By this time, we were pretty hungry, and decided to get back to the hotel to take a lunch break. We had traditional South Indian meal. The food was very tasty. I must say that we have been particularly happy with the food in the entire trip, with the taste and variety available to the tourists. After lunch, we continued with our sight-seeing. Our next destination was the Hazararama Temple.
The first thing that you notice in this temple is the wall of the temple. Probably this is the only temple in the capital with its external walls decorated with bas-reliefs of Ramayana stories in long arrays etched into the stones. The temple got its name Hazara Rama owing to the multitude of these Ramayana panels, including stories of Luv Kush, on its walls. This is not a huge temple by Hampi's yardstick, but this temple at the heart of the royal area has some peculiarities. Firstly, it had been functioning as a private temple for the king and the royal family. The importance of this temple can be judged from its nodal location in the royal area. Paths to various locations within the citadel concur at a corner of this temple.
The dusty path that connects the Royal enclosure with the Zenana enclosure passes along the temple courtyard. Right across the path of this temple is the Pan-Supari Bazar. During the imperial days of Vijayanagara this was a royal street that led to the palace. Much of it is ruined, and exists only in archaeological maps. The reason for such a unique name to this place is not known though.
The final destination for our first day's sight-seeing was Mahanavami Dibba. This is the tallest structure in the area, and visible as you enter the royal enclosure. From a distance it just looks like an elevated square with a beautiful all round view. However, a closer look depicts 3 layers of beautiful carvings of ornamentation from royal ceremony, city life to the erstwhile foreign envoys (Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese) to hunting scenes. King Krishnadevaraya constructed this in commemoration on the victory over Udaygiri (now in Odisha).
Next to the dibba, there is an awesome depiction of the advanced water management system that was in place, in the empire. There were channels for transferring water from a stepped tank to all the Pushkarinis in the vicinity.
With this we concluded our first day of the trip, and retired back to our hotel for a hot cup of tea accompanied with crispy pakodas! We had an early dinner and retired in our room for a round of movie.. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara! Wouldn't you say it is apt to be seen during a road trip with friends?!
Travel Tips:
1. Nearest domestic airport is Bellary.
2. Best option is to travel from Bangalore via Hampi Express from Bangalore City to Hospet station. Hampi is 13 kms via road from Hospet. Train leaves Bangalore city at 10:05 PM. It also stops at Malleswaram (10:14 PM) and Yeshvantpur (10:22 PM), reaching Hospet Jn. at 7:10 AM the next day.
3. Autos and cars are available outside Hospet station to take you to Hampi.
4. Stay: There is only one option on Hampi's side of Tungabhadra - Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneshwari.
You can stay near the Hippie settlement at the other side of the river. Lots of options are available over here.
5. Transport: Autos/Bikes/Cycles/By foot!
Courtesy:
- Wikipedia
- hampi.in
- www.karnataka.com
To be continued.........
very nice style.....keep on writing.....enjoy the trips.....Best Wisehs
ReplyDelete