Historic Hampi : A Travel Guide

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination with reality, and instead of thinking of how things may be, see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson

I hadn't traveled in quite sometime. The long weekend of Independence Day was calling me for a short vacation. Unlike my previous 2 travel plans which were treks to the Himalayas, this time, me along with my roommates(Jyoti and Nikhil) decided to dive into the historic ruins of  Hampi. This blog is more of a travel guide than a travelogue.

Hampi is an ancient village in the south Indian state of Karnataka. The dynasties that ruled the Vijayanagara Empire , with Hampi as the capital,constructed many forts,ramparts,temples and statues. What they build then have come to be acknowledged as world heritage sites today.

History:

Hampi is also known as Pampa Kshetra, Kishkindha kshetra and even Bhaskara kshetra. These names were derived from the famous Tungabhadra River Pampa. According to mythology it is said that Pampa was Brahma’s daughter who was later married off to Shiva. It was here where the city was built. As you walk through the remains of Hampi's magnificent forts, palaces and gateways, you will get a glimpse of the excellent architecture of those times. The monuments speak volumes about the history of Hampi that used to be a prosperous and rich kingdom in the 14th century which was eventually ruined owing to the attacks made by the Moghuls. This was the start of an empire that went on to become one of the richest. In a span of over 200 plus years ((1336 AD – 1565 AD), a total of four dynasties ruled Vijayanagar that is also called as the City of Victory.

History of Vijayanagar had been a saga of resistance against the northern Sultanates as well as building of its spectacular capital in Hampi.The Vijayanagara Empire is said to have been established and founded by Bukka and Harihara who were also known as Sangama brothers. The brothers initially lived in Warangal where they were working as treasurer and minister. In 1323, the brothers fled Warangal when the city was attacked by the Muslims and went to Kampili. They fled from there too again owing to the attacks by Muslims and crossed River Tungabhadra to form a new city which is now known as Vijayanagara. This city was ruled by four different dynasties from 1336 to 1565. Sangama dynasty, Saluva dynasty, Tuluva dynasty and Aravidu dynasty were the four dynasties in ruling during that period. The kings and princes of each of these dynasties made sure that while in their ruling, they do whatever it takes to brings richness and wealth to the city and ended up building over 500 monuments.

• The Sangama Dynasty was founded by Bukka Raya 1 and Harihara 1.It was established in 1336. The ruling passed on from them to Harihara II and Devaraya II and several others.
• The Saluva dynasty was ruled only by two rulers in the name of Saluva Narasimha Deva and Immadi Narasimha.
• The Tuluva Dynasty was the third in row to rule the Vijayanagara Empire. Immadi Marasimha who initially ruled the dynasty was killed by Vira Narasimha who then took over the throne and made the Tuluva dynasty in 1505.
• The Aravidu Dynasty is the last dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire and Tirumala was the founder. This dynasty was defeated and taken over Bijapuri muslims.

Hampi also has a strong mythological story associated to it. And if these beliefs are anything to go by, it is said that Kishkinda Vanara Kingdom is where Ram and Lakshman had stayed when they had set out in search of Sita who was abducted by Ravana.

Tentative Travel Itinerary:

Hampi is 12 km away from Hosapet. KSRTC runs buses from 6 AM to 10.30 PM daily. There are 2 routes to Hampi, one goes through Kaddirampura and the other through Kamalapura.

Hampi can be covered in 3 days. I will try and give you an itinerary which will be helpful. It is very useful if you can download offline map of Hampi because there is very limited connectivity of mobile service providers. Following is a google map representation of the itinerary.

Day-1:

The ruins are scattered across Hampi. Many of the important sites are close to bus stop and can be covered walking. They are within a radius of 2 km. You don't need to hire a cab or rickshaw on this day. As one alights the bus, the magnificent tower of a temple is visible to the west, Virupaksha temple.

Virupaksha Temple : 
It is the most ancient temple in Hampi and it is a treat to the eyes for people who love history and religion.The inscriptions that you will find on the structure dates back to the 9th and 10th century. Built in dedication to Shiva, this site is one of the most important and visited pilgrim sites.The most fascinating part about this temple is the stunning three gopuras and also a big high tower that stands tall at 160 feet . The temple also has an elephant called Lakshmi.Sri Virupaksha is aslo called Pampapathi. It is said that pampadevi did tapasya for lord Shiva in this holy place. Shiva appeared before her and took the shape of Shivalingam promising to stay there forever. The idol of Shivalingam is Virupaksha.Don't forget to see the inverted shadow of the outer entrance(Bistappa tower) projected on the wall. Also do not miss to visit the sacred pond beside the temple. It is called Lokpavana. Water to the pond is fed by a pipe system which connects the nearby Tungabhadra river.

  Once you get out of the temple. You can see a signboard pointing to large group of temples on the left of the Virupaksha temple. Enter inside that. You will see 2 distinct paths. Follow the one towards the left. If you are lucky you can see goats grazing,the beautiful Virupaksha compound and Matanga hill at a distance.

 Move ahead and visit the 2 Ganesha temples (Kadalekalu and Saasivekaalu). Kadalekalu Ganapathi is 18 feet tall and has a big inner sanctum.Get out from the exit gate on the other side and walk straight 300 m towards Sri Krishna Temple.

You can also see Pushkarini opposite to it.

Other sites in the vicinity include the Badavilinga Temple ,where you can see a 12 ft shivling submerged in water, and Ugra Narashimha Temple. It is the largest of all the idols in Hampi. It is about 22 feet tall and is carved on a single stone.

Return back to bus stop by walk or by a rickshaw. Have lunch at Mango Tree restaurant or Suresh restaurant, two famous restaurants on Hampi river side. The ambiance is good and food is tasty.
Next visit the Monolithic bull and Mathanga hill. It is at a distance of 1km from Hampi Bazar.

Once done walk towards Achutaraya Temple. It is the most beautiful ruin in Hampi. It is worth the effort of walking 850m from Monolithic Bull

Achutaraya Temple: This temple was built by Sri Krishna Devaraya's brother Achutaraya between 1513 and 1539.Apparently it was here that the trade of precious stones and diamonds was carried on. This is also called “Sule Bazaar”.

Return back to Virupaksha temple and enter the gate of Hemkuta group of temples and move towards the right hand side which you had skipped in the morning. Spend some time enjoying the sunset at sunset point. This ends your adventure of day 1.

Day-2

Following is a summary Of Places to be covered on Day-2

You can visit the Vitthala Temple directly. You will find the marvelous Stone chariot in the temple compound. The temple campus is huge and beautiful too.

Spend some time exploring the ruins.
Vijaya Vittala temple is one of the most breathtaking pieces of architecture. Built in dedication to Vittala who is a form of Vishnu. The Vittala temple was built in the 15th century. The highlight about the Vittala temple is the stone chariot. It is considered as an iconic structure. It also has musical pillars that are as iconic as the stone chariot. Each pillar of this temple depicts a musical instrument and also serves as the main support to the whole structure. This has been arranged around the main pillar of the temple which when struck gives out the 7 notes from each of the instrument that it represents. This temple is also a venue to the famous festival Purandaradasa festival that is held here annually.

On the temple outskirts you should be able to locate Stupendous Vishnu Temple and King's balance. These two are the important attractions in this part of Hampi.
King's Balance: The King’s balance is just five meters tall and forms an archway like structure. The structure has been carved from stone and it is believed by many that during lunar and solar eclipse and also during Dussehra, the King was weighed with gold and many other precious stones. These jewels were then given away to the priests of the temple.

Return back to Kamlapura side of Hampi and explore other sites.

Following sites attract the tourists to a greater extent.

• Queen's Bath
• Lotus Mahal
• Elephant stable
• Octagonal Bath

• Hazara Rama Temple
• Royal Enclosure
• Stepped Tank
• Mahanavami Dibba

You can optionally visit Chandrasekhara Temple and Saraswati Temple

Day -3 :

If you aren't still bored try and visit Hampi Island which includes the following tourist attractions. You can enjoy the magnificent boat ride from Hampi river side to Hampi island.

• Sanapur Lake
• Anegundi (north-east of Hampi Bazaar). Crossing the river to the north and heading east, one can reach Anegundi whose history goes back, according to local legends, to the Ramayana (the Hindu epic)

You can also spend half a day exploring the Tungabhadra Dam and the beautiful park which is just 6 Km from Hosapet Bus stop. You can hire Auto rickshaw which charge 70-80 INR

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Hope this blog helps you plan your vacation!!

I can HA[m]PPIly conclude

“Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else.” — Lawrence Block

Additional Info:

Recommended Places to Stay at Hampi:

• Hotel Mayura Bhubaneswari (KSTDC Hotel) - Very Good
• Kishkinda Heritage Resort in Hampi Island
• Krishna Palace in Hosapete
• Hampi International in Hosapete
• You can also call and book a guest house in Hampi riverside owned by Mr.Nagaraju (9449667641)

Signing off

Conquering a Himalayan peak - Chandrashila

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”
― John Muir

"Put on your micro-spikes" commanded Pratap our technical guide for the trek. I looked to check the time, it was 4.15 AM by my watch. I hoped we were on time. Anxiety and excitement prevailed. It would be the first time I would be walking on ice. I guess the whole team was waiting for this. But it wasn't easy at all, there was a very thin layer of ice and we had to be careful to avoid slipping. We were about to reach Tunganath. Tunganth temple is the highest Shiva temple in the world and is believed to be the Tritiya Kedar in the pecking order of the Kedars. It was pitch dark and we could hardly see beyond a metre. Tunganth was our only stop before we climb to the summit of Chandrashila, a mountain peak of 12,083 ft, the trek for which we enrolled.

An Asian proverb says "Better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times". once you have seen it, you can't wait but come over and over again. This has been my story with the Himalayas. I fell in love with the Himalays when I completed my first high-altitude trek to Roopkund in september last year. This time it was time to climb a peak of height 12,083 ft called Chandrashila literally meaning "Moon Rock". If mythology is to be believed, this is where Lord Rama meditated after defeating the demon-king Ravana. When I decided on doing this trek,I was excited to relive the meandering roads, vast meadows and pristine water streams but kudos to our trek guide Manoj bhai who enlightened us on the significance of the place and kept us motivated with captivating and exciting stories in the evening.

Chandrashila summit trek is a 4 day affair. I was doing this trek again with IndiaHikes, a trekking community. I was really impressed in which they carry out their job paying attention to details, improved safety standards, serving good food at such high altitudes and the green trail initiative. I was doing this trek with 24 other trekkers. We were picked up from Haridwar railway station and transported to Sari, a small Himalayan village at an altitude of 6,700ft. The route to Sari was extremely scenic. We drove through Rishikesh, Devaprayag, Rudraprayag and Srinagar and the beautiful emerald green Alaknanda river giving us company throughout the journey. We were also lucky to spot 2 khambas(walls) of the mighty Choukhamba. At one point our driver pointed towards a half-snow clad peak which looked discouragingly far but temptingly near under a cloudless blue sky. That was our destination, Chandrashila.After reaching Sari, we were asked to assemble for a briefing. we were formally introduced to our Trek Leader Geet. He started with the team introduction and briefed us on various aspects of the trek- trek itinerary, etiquettes,medical tips, green trail etc. Most of the people were first timers and almost everyone was excited to experience snow probably for the first time. After a sumptuous dinner we retired to our beds.

The first day was a leisure walk of 3km to Deoriatal.It was about 9:30 AM when we left. The trail is a well-laid one and is a gradual ascent. The beautiful gharwal forests en-route Deoriatal are known for their fiery red and pink canopy of rhododendrons that set the trail blazing. Few of the trekkers also managed to lay their hands on the fresh juice of the Rhododendron flower. It tasted heavenly, nectar in true sense. We reached the campsite by 12 PM. We were mesmerized to see our tents pitched beside the holy deoriatal and silhouette dominated by the mighty Himalayan peaks particularly Choukhamba. Yes you can say that I am obsessed with Choukhamba. During my whole trek I almost stopped at every view point to admire this sublime beauty. Since we reached so early, we had plenty of time to kill. We utilized this time to know our trek mates and indulged in some fun-filled sports activities. Ours was a cosmopolitan group with people from varied background with colourful personalities. Manoj bhai opened his bagful of stories and we were glued to it and asked for more and more and he obliged. It comprised fiction and non-fiction and we were all ears to him. An eventful day ended. Next day was supposed to be a tougher one. I was sharing the tent with 2 other trekkers and on this fateful night a dangerous term was coined "Comfort Marriage". We were oblivious to the fact that pin drop silence at a camp site in the Himalayas is a myth. Almost everyone was enjoying our discussion and were quick on passing comments the following morning.Every evening, Kuldeep(trek guide) would monitor our oxygen levels and pulse with his oximeter to make sure that none of us had problems with the altitude and were fine enough to trek.

Day 2 was a tiring day and we had to cover a treacherous distance of 14 km in 8 hrs. So we started early around 7 AM and walked through dense forests.We had our lunch packed and were excited to find a dining spot in the woods.After a short but intense ascent up, we came to Jhandi Dhar, a high-point clearing marked by a flag post with 360 degree view of the surrounding. We were at the cliff with the ridge sharply receding into valleys down beneath. We could spot Sari from where we started our trek. Manoj bhai and Geet decided that we will be having our lunch at the banks of Akash Kamini - a beautiful glacial stream. My excitement knew no bounds in noticing pure clean water flowing from nature’s lap. The cold water of the stream provided much needed respite from the already tiring walk. After devouring our khichdi along with chikki we moved over neatly laid forests and small meadows. Though the forest looked endless but you never get bored, there is so much to look for. It was filled with flora and fauna. We could spot few Himalayan birds too. Once the forest trail gave way to asphalt road, we could spot ice. It was then an epic battle between trekkers started- snow fight. It was already a long day and after another 1 km walk we could spot our next campsite in the vicinity. We would be spending 3 nights at this particular place. After our evening snacks, everyone enjoyed the most beautiful sunset. Being a tiring day,almost everyone retired to their beds early.

We had heard that this particular camp site is home to myriad birds. So me and a few folks from the group made a plan to wake up early and go for bird-watching. It was then we came to know that our trek lead Geet was a birdwatcher. We got up early the next morning as planned and followed Geet. We could spot few birds high up on tree branches but were unable to identify them from far below though we had a booklet handy. We were lucky enough to spot few female monals near to our campsite. But the most fascinating of all the birds that we saw that day was a male Monal. It is a colourful bird and when it took flight we were awestruck. It felt like getting up so early is worth while. Apart from this, the day was a leisure one and we enjoyed plenty of free time moving around the camp site and playing games. Before snacks that evening, IndiaHikes team briefed us on the use of micro-spikes and I along with few people were disappointed on not seeing gaiters. That would mean not enough snow on the peak. Geet gave us a demonstration on their use and asked us all to try them on right then, so that we would be able to do it quickly the next day. The best part of going to Chandrashila is to marvel the sunrise when there is no enough snow. So our lead and guide decided we would start as early as 1.30 AM the following day. We were served early dinner and were asked to go to bed at 7 PM.

When you are in the mountains, you follow its time. If not for this day and this place, the group would have been in deep slumber. But it was astonishing and rejuvenating to see them getting ready before 1.30 AM!! This day was a little different than other days when we pretty much walked at our pace but today the slowest trekkers were made to walk at the head of the line to control the speed of walking of the group.It was pitch dark and we all had to use head lamps or torches.After an hour walking on the zigzagging stony path uphill, I stopped to see dimming lights in the houses of villages far down in the valley and the constellation of stars above me. I was starstruck.I looked behind me, torch lights dotted the pitch-blackness like darting fireflies, making their way up. We rested for a while at Tunganath temple waiting for the group at the end to reach. People who reached early were sceptical of missing the sunrise and rang Tunganath temple bells and prayed to the lord to delay the sunrise.

After the Tungnath temple, we continued to trudge upwards on a slope at a disheartening angle. The slippery ice was making the climb even tougher. The distance from the Tungnath temple to the Chandrashila peak is about 600 feet and is a steep climb.

“The way up to the top of the mountain is always longer than you think.
Don’t fool yourself, the moment will arrive when what seemed so near is still very far.”
— Paulo Coelho

Leaving behind all the difficulties and excruciating pain in our calf muscles,we managed to reach the summit just before sunrise.The 360 degree view was outstanding. We also spotted a Himalyan ibex. It was heartening to see strong emotions of accomplishment taking the shape of tears in few first time high altitude trekkers. I was standing on a Himalayan peak with an astounding view above the horizon.

After our customary portraits with the mighty Himalayan range in the background and few group photos we descended to our camp sites and relaxed. The following morning we started our journey back to our monotonous lives.

Sometimes we need to let off our tedious and repetitious life and go to some serene place with no mobile connectivity, to a place with misty forests and vast meadows , streams, and winding paths , with best ever sunrise and sunset , to a place with great variety of flora and fauna, to whistling and dancing birds and to listen to the music of the wind passing through the leaves and kissing your body and replenishing your soul with happiness.

I can aptly conclude with a quote

“Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.”
― David McCullough Jr.

PS: This trek was completed on 30th March,2017. Thank you IndiaHikes and my trek mates. I had a wonderful time.

For inquisitive minds:

Mythological importance of Deoriatal :
Deoria tal is believed to be the lake from where Yakshya asked Pandavas the questions on life.According to Mahabharata, once when Pandavas were in the Banbasa fleeing ,Thirsty and tired Yudhisthara asked Bhima to look for a place where they could bring water from. Bhima got up on a tree and saw a lake at a distance. Sahadeva, the youngest of the Pandavas was ordered to go and bring some water.Sahadev went and tried to drink the water. At the very time Yakshya stopped Sahadeva and asked him to answer his questions which Sahadeva denied and thus died the very moment he tried to gulp water. Same thing happened to Nakula, Arjuna and Bhima respectively. Finally when Yudhisthira came, he answered all questions of Yakshya before drinking the water. Happy with Yudhisthira, Yakshya asked Yudhisthira to choose one of his brothers to be alive and Yudhisthira choose Nakula. To Yakshyas bewilderment, Yudhisthira replied that though Bhima is the most strong and Arjuna the top in arrow shoot, he would choose Nakula to do just towards their second (step) mother Madri. Happy with the answer, Yakshya gives life to all four Pandavas who were lying on the bank of the lake dead. Yakshya is the father of Yudhisthira.Deoria lake maintains its purity and amazing beauty till date.

Mythological importance of Tunganath :
The legend states that sage Vyas Rishi advised the Pandavas that since they were culpable of slaying their own relatives (Kauravas, their cousins) during the Mahabharata war or Kurukshetra war, their act could be pardoned only by Lord Shiva. Consequently, the Pandavas went in search of Shiva who was avoiding them since he was convinced of the guilt of Pandavas. In order to keep away from them, Shiva took the form of a bull and went into hiding in an underground safe haven at Guptakashi, where Pandavas chased him. But later Shiva’s body in the form of bull’s body parts rematerialized at five different locations that represent the "Panch Kedar" where Pandavas built temples of Lord Shiva at each location, to worship and venerate, seeking his pardon and blessings. Each one is identified with a part of his body; Tungnath is identified as the place where the bahu (hands) were seen.

Mountain ranges to the left of mighty choukhamba (as seen from Chandrashila)
from Left to Right
Jaonli(6632m),Gangotri(6672m),Jogin(6465m),Thalay Sagar(6904m),Bharte Kunta(6578m),Kedarnath(6940 m),Kedar dome (6831m),Sumeru Parwat(6331m),Bhagirathi(6856m),Mandani(6193m),Satopanth(7075m),Janhukut(6805m),

Mountain ranges to the right of Choukhamba (as seen from Chandrashila)
from Left to Right
Ghoda(6708m),Hati Parbat(6727m), Gorur Parvat(6504m),Dronagiri (7066m),Changbang(6864m),Deo Damla(6620m),Rishi Kot(6236m),Nanda Devi(7816m),Sunanda Devi(7434m),Bethartoli(6352m),Nanda Ghunti(6309m),Trishul(7120m)