Preamble – Hampi: Tale of Two Civilizations
Day 1 – Hampi: Land of Boulders – Read More
Day 2 – Hampi: Temples & Monuments
(i) Malyavanta Hill
So, there we were, racing against the clock to catch that epic sunrise. We parked our car under this massive banyan tree and stumbled upon a hidden gem—the Raghunathaswamy Temple complex. Raju only mentioned the hill for sunrise, so this was a nice surprise! The local priests pointed us toward a tiny passage leading up the hill. Let me tell you, the climb was no joke for me. But Ganesh, being the legend he is, didn’t leave me hanging. He practically held my hand the whole way up, helping me tackle the tricky bits.
Once we reached the top of Malyavanta Hill, we were greeted with a breathtaking 360-degree view of boulder-strewn hills as far as the eye could see. It was like something out of a postcard—green fields, winding roads, and ancient ruins scattered across the landscape. You could almost feel the echoes of the empire days in the air, if you used your imagination a bit.
Soon the hilltop became busy with lot of foreign tourists, especially the Russian gang. As I was waiting impatiently for the sunrise, I met Bailey from USA, a digital nomad, as she would like to call herself. She was on a travel expedition across India sub-continent along with her boy-friend. The digital revolution had made working in an office confined to four walls, a defunct concept.
But as luck would have it, the sunrise was a no-show thanks to the cloudy sky. Ah, well, you win some, you lose some, right? We still managed to soak in the peaceful vibes before making our way down to explore the temple complex. From the hilltop, I could see the whole fortified campus sprawling below.
(ii) Raghunathaswamy Temple
This temple, built around a giant boulder, is dedicated to Ram. The temple entrance gate was a work of art, intricately carved with motifs running along the walls. The resident priest told me they’ve been reciting Ramcharitmanas (a Ramayana recitation) 24/7 for over 15 years! Now that’s dedication.
Outside the walls, tucked away at the back of the hilltop, there’s a little cave temple that not many tourists know about. I stumbled upon it by pure chance while exploring the grounds. As I soaked in the serene view, a priest emerged from the temple. We got chatting, and I asked him about the sculpted shivlings on the boulder’s surface. Turns out, Ram and Lakshman carved them to worship Shiva during their stay in the Kingdom of Kishkindha. There’s a narrow crack between the shivlings with water in it, said to be formed by Lakshman striking an arrow on the rock for water. The priest claimed he’s never seen the water dry up. Spooky, right? He called the temple Fatik Shila because of the forked rock formation, and he swore the sunset view from behind the temple was out of this world. I seriously underestimated my trip – Hampi needs at least five days to do it justice!
By now, my stomach was growling, so we headed to Hampi Bazaar in search of brekkie at Taste of Brahmin. After a bit of a wait, we finally snagged a table and let me tell you, the food was worth every minute. Mohan, the owner, was like a whirlwind, serving up piping hot dishes with his own hands. I can’t recommend it enough. After we polished off our breakfast, we counted our blessings – turns out we got there just in time before the kitchen ran out of grub!
(iii) Virupaksha Temple
With our bellies full, we sat down with Mohan to shoot the breeze about life in Hampi and his secret recipe. He filled us in on how tourism has changed the game in Hampi over the years. Our convo naturally turned to the Virupaksha Temple, Hampi’s oldest shrine and a hotspot for Hindu pilgrims. Mohan reckoned it was probably built way before the Vijayanagara Empire, maybe much smaller in its current grandeur.
Mohan suggested we swing by in the evening to catch the river flowing behind the temple – a serene sight to behold. He mentioned the temple gets packed during MahaShivratri for the annual chariot procession celebrating the marriage of Virupaksha and Pampa. Hearing stories from the locals is always a blast!
As we walked back, you could see the temple’s base was stone, but the subsequent floors were all brick. Feeling the heat, we decided to save the temple visit for later and headed back to freshen up before meeting up with the Drs at Vitthala.
(iv) Vitthala Temple
Vitthala Temple was a bit of a ride from central Hampi. I was looking forward to seeing the Drs. It was such a joy catching up with them – those two are a riot! They’ve got Bollywood and Tollywood clients, so they’re always on the move. The sun was blazing down, though. I just wished it had shown up earlier for the sunrise!
As we approached the temple, we passed the ruins of what seemed to be a bustling market—a one-kilometer stretch of dilapidated shops. Our guide filled us in, saying it used to be a horse trading hub back in the day.
The Vitthala Temple, dedicated to Vishnu, was surrounded by high walls and packed with temple structures adorned with intricate sculptures. The pillars told tales from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, carved with jaw-dropping detail. Some sculptures even had a 5D effect – now that’s next-level craftsmanship!
The pièce de résistance? The famous stone chariot temple devoted to Garuda – what a marvel of architecture! And get this, it’s on the fifty rupee notes! The guide told us the wheels used to spin, but they’ve since been cemented in place to preserve the structure. They even replaced the original horse pullers with elephants, but you can still see the remnants of the horse’s tail.
Pro tip: Get a guide to make the most of your visit.
Unfortunately, the musical pillar chamber had seen better days and was off-limits, but our guide took us to another spot where he played music on the pillars. It was like nothing I’ve ever heard before! He joked that the Britishers tried to cut the pillars open to see if they were hollow.
We took a breather at the restaurant – Mango Tree, bantering around with the Drs. With the sun dialing down its intensity, we decided to hit up a few more monuments in the Royal Enclosure.
(v) Lotus Mahal
As we arrived at Lotus Mahal, I was totally smitten by this stunning two-story structure with its blend of Indo-Islamic architecture. I reckon it got its name from those lotus petal-like arched ceilings. And the color? Well, it had this pinkish hue, or maybe it was just the sunlight playing tricks on me – I couldn’t tell for sure. The lush green garden surrounding Lotus Mahal added that extra touch of grandeur to the whole vibe.
While wandering around, I spotted these octagonal watchtowers, kinda like they were added as an afterthought, not part of the original fortification. Turns out, they were like an inner line of defense to keep nosy civilians away from the royal digs.
(vi) Elephant Stable
Now, picture this: a stable, but not for horses – for elephants! Talk about a booming empire, huh? We were zipping around from one spot to the next, so we decided to take a breather under a big ol’ tree and swap some juicy gossip. The Docs were chock-full of stories from their travels, especially rubbing elbows with the who’s who.
(vii) Queens Bath
We stepped into the Queen’s Bath and bumped into Bailey again, this time with her friend Josie. They were in a mad rush to catch the last boat ride to Hippie Island. We promised to catch up later, time permitting, of course.
The architecture here had that Indo-Islamic flair. There’s a pond in the middle, surrounded by this elegant arched corridor. Simple yet classy, with ceilings so intricately carved, they’d make your jaw drop. The gems embedded in the carving have now all gone. Outside, there’s this little moat – I reckon it’s part of the drainage system.
I couldn’t help but notice the river was quite a ways off from here. Goes to show, these folks had some serious engineering skill, figuring out how to move water across hilly terrain like it’s no big deal. We definitely missed having a knowledgeable guide around.
(viii) “Light n Sound” Show
By the time we wrapped up exploring those places, we were pooped. There was still heaps more to see, but we decided to save it for the next day and take things easy.
We treated ourselves to tickets for the Light n Sound show right by the Virupaksha Temple. Let me tell ya, it was mind-blowing! No photo or video could ever do it justice.
Pro Tip: My advice? Don’t even think about skipping it!
We opted for a simple dinner in the nearby Hampi Bazaar and made plans to meet up again the next day.
January 2024
If you’re planning a trip to Hampi or travel through Karnataka / India, we at HappyHorizon would be thrilled to curate your holiday plans to enhance overall travel experiences. Feel free to reach out to us: connect@happyhorizon.in
Day 3 – Hampi: Blending Arts, Architecture & Engineering
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Sukumar Jain, a Mumbai-based finance professional with global experience, is also a passionate traveler, wildlife enthusiast, and an aficionado of Indian culture. Alongside his career, which includes diverse roles in international banking and finance, he's working on a wildlife coffee table book and enjoys sculpture and pottery. His interests span reading non-fiction to engaging in social and global networking.
