Hampi- Indian Rome
This is an account of my trip to Hampi in March. I stayed in KSTDC hotel in Kamalapuram:
On the bank of river Tungabhadra, a boulder-strewn land reminiscent of the grand Vijayanagara Empire welcomes any adventure-seeker to its breath-taking beauty. Approximately 13 kilometers away from the town of Hospet in Karnataka, this serene sleepy village offers a picture of the erstwhile capital of Hampi ruled by King Krishnadeva Raya, its palaces and marvelous images deftly carved in walls and pillars. Incidentally, it also happens to be the same place, Kishkindha, which is mentioned in Ramayana- a Hindu epic of great fame. Thus, one can also find images of Gods like Narasimha, Shiva, Parvati, Vishnu, Ganesh and Hanuman.
Vithala Temple
One has to tread a rocky path of 2 Kilometers along the river to reach this temple. But, the view is worth it. As soon as one enters the temple, one finds the famous Stone Chariot. The way Sunlight fell on this chariot produced different colors of the stone at the same time.
The wheels of this chariot, made completely of stone, can revolve.
Also one finds the 56 musical pillars inside the temple though it is difficult to listen to the music without the help of a guide. The walls of the temple depict kings on majestic horses and Gods side by side.
Reason for taking a picture of it: The Stone Chariot looks to be of two different colors when shot from two different angles because of the sunlight that falls on it.
Laxmi Narasimha (Ugra Narasimha)
One of the finest examples of sculptures in Hampi is the erection of a 6.7 meters tall statue of a God- half Lion, half Man.
Reason for taking a picture of it: This statue has braved weather for centuries and yet it seems so timeless. Due to the destruction of this statue, it looks like the God is angry and that’s why it is also named Ugra Narasimha (The angry God-half Lion, half Man)
Coracle rides
The existence of river all along the main Hampi bazaar, offer opportunities to the travelers to enjoy the boat rides in a round boat called the coracle. One can see a person rowing the coracle and his friend taking an afternoon nap in the picture enclosed.
Reason for taking the picture: How a man in one corner of the world takes his afternoon nap in a coracle boat unbothered about anything else.
The Museum
3 Kilometers from Hampi lay a small village Kamalapuram where one can visit the historical and informative ASI museum. Unfortunately, some of the sculptures that have been excavated have been put in open because of lack of space.
Reason for taking a picture of it: The first sight of it gives one an illusion of being in a graveyard.
The Lemon-Soda seller
In approximately a population of 1000 people of Hampi, most of them earn their living by serving tourists. I met Mohammed while I was cycling to Lotus Mahal on a very sunny day.
Reason for taking his picture: His smile and lemon-soda provides the much-needed respite from hot sun to the travelers.
On the bank of river Tungabhadra, a boulder-strewn land reminiscent of the grand Vijayanagara Empire welcomes any adventure-seeker to its breath-taking beauty. Approximately 13 kilometers away from the town of Hospet in Karnataka, this serene sleepy village offers a picture of the erstwhile capital of Hampi ruled by King Krishnadeva Raya, its palaces and marvelous images deftly carved in walls and pillars. Incidentally, it also happens to be the same place, Kishkindha, which is mentioned in Ramayana- a Hindu epic of great fame. Thus, one can also find images of Gods like Narasimha, Shiva, Parvati, Vishnu, Ganesh and Hanuman.
Vithala Temple
One has to tread a rocky path of 2 Kilometers along the river to reach this temple. But, the view is worth it. As soon as one enters the temple, one finds the famous Stone Chariot. The way Sunlight fell on this chariot produced different colors of the stone at the same time.
The wheels of this chariot, made completely of stone, can revolve.
Also one finds the 56 musical pillars inside the temple though it is difficult to listen to the music without the help of a guide. The walls of the temple depict kings on majestic horses and Gods side by side.
Reason for taking a picture of it: The Stone Chariot looks to be of two different colors when shot from two different angles because of the sunlight that falls on it.
Laxmi Narasimha (Ugra Narasimha)
One of the finest examples of sculptures in Hampi is the erection of a 6.7 meters tall statue of a God- half Lion, half Man.
Reason for taking a picture of it: This statue has braved weather for centuries and yet it seems so timeless. Due to the destruction of this statue, it looks like the God is angry and that’s why it is also named Ugra Narasimha (The angry God-half Lion, half Man)
Coracle rides
The existence of river all along the main Hampi bazaar, offer opportunities to the travelers to enjoy the boat rides in a round boat called the coracle. One can see a person rowing the coracle and his friend taking an afternoon nap in the picture enclosed.
Reason for taking the picture: How a man in one corner of the world takes his afternoon nap in a coracle boat unbothered about anything else.
The Museum
3 Kilometers from Hampi lay a small village Kamalapuram where one can visit the historical and informative ASI museum. Unfortunately, some of the sculptures that have been excavated have been put in open because of lack of space.
Reason for taking a picture of it: The first sight of it gives one an illusion of being in a graveyard.
The Lemon-Soda seller
In approximately a population of 1000 people of Hampi, most of them earn their living by serving tourists. I met Mohammed while I was cycling to Lotus Mahal on a very sunny day.
Reason for taking his picture: His smile and lemon-soda provides the much-needed respite from hot sun to the travelers.
posted by Shoonya at
8:06 AM
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