Ancient Karnataka

The City of Victory or Vijayanagar as it is locally called lies in ruins today. Its days of glory are long gone when it stood proud as the centre of prosperity, when its famous bazaars overflowed with merchants selling gold rubies and diamonds, of the time when it controlled all the trade in Southern India. Yes, those were the days - two centuries of prosperity that spawned the magnificent architecture, the ruins of which stand silent today. If only they could talk, what a story they would unfold. They would tell of the wealthy king who weighed himself against gold to be distributed amongst the poor, the story about the queen who would only bathe in a pool full of scented oils and finally they would tell about the devastation brought about by the invading Muslim armies that caused the empire’s decline. Spread across a 29 sq km area along the southern bank of the Tungabadhra river, the ancient city of Hampi is a passage into time. You can easily lose yourself in the ruins and sit entranced for hours basking in the aura of serenity they afford. Badami, a three-hour drive from Hampi, has ancient Buddhist and Jain cave architecture to mesmerise the visitor. Albeit not so popular with tourists, the caves and ancient temples here can be explored at leisure. Twenty kilometres away lies the stupendous architectural marvel of the Pattadakal temples. Buckle up and drive back into history.

IN DETAIL

Planning for Hampi and Badami
The ideal time to visit the towns of Hampi and Badami is between November and March. The climate is pleasant and humidity low. The summer months see the mercury rise to 45 degrees and even the locals stay indoors from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. The monsoon brings in swarms of mosquitoes which even in winter months are quite a harassment, so do not forget to pack your mosquito repellent cream.

It’s possible to see all the sights in Hampi and Badami in a day each. But the ideal way to spend two days here is to take a guided tour on the first day and just roam the ruins on the second. Let them get into your system so that you can close your eyes and feel them come alive. The same goes for Badami.

The drive from Bangalore to Hampi
The drive from Bangalore to Hampi is a pleasant one. You start off on NH 4 and continue driving on it till Chitradurga. A right turn just after Chitradurga gets you onto NH 13 that runs from there to Sholapur. NH 13 is very sparsely populated with an odd truck or tempo, the road surfaces though aren’t as good as NH 4 but are pretty okay. Watch out for farmers spreading their crops across the roads though. From Hospet to Badami the route gets onto state highways after Hungund. Driving on these roads needs caution, as they are very narrow. The road surfaces though are exceptionally good. In Badami the streets are very narrow and a large SUV may have trouble getting through.

Caution - if you’re sightseeing alone
Hampi is known to have seen a few muggings recently. The ruins are very secluded and lonely after sunset and it is not advisable to move around alone, especially with valuables like an expensive camera. Tourists are required to register themselves with the tourism police in main Hampi bazaar but it’s not strictly enforced.
Just keep alert - make a racket at the slightest notice of anything amiss and you’ll be alright.
Across the river lies Hippie Island where there is plenty of budget accommodation available. The place, however, rocks on full moon nights as the westerners have night-long rave parties. So if you are looking for a romantic peaceful time steer clear — at least on full moon nights!

The kingdom of Vijayanagar or the ‘City of Victory’ was founded in 1336 and forged from an amalgam of ancient Hindu kingdoms of the south. It was a time when the southern states came together to form a formidable force against the pillaging Muslim armies of the north.

IN DETAIL

Hampi - the glory of the empire that was
The city of Hampi on the southern banks of the Tungabhadra river was the capital of this empire. Its fortunes peaked under the reign of Krishnadevaraya who ascended the throne in 1509. It was under his command that the Hindu armies of the south defeated the armies at the Muslim stronghold of Raichur and eventually even captured Bijapur. Vijayanagar’s decline began soon after Krishnadevaraya’s death and Hampi was gradually forgotten. Today the fabulous ruins are alive again, albeit with wonderstruck tourists who try to come to terms with the feat of planning displayed in this city built over 700 years ago. What’s amazing about Hampi is the impunity displayed by its very location. Situated on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra, with the Muslim armies permanently encamped on the northern bank, the city planners must have had a lot of confidence in the seven lines of fortification surrounding the city. Hampi was reputed to have a population of one million and accounts left behind by travellers like Fernão Nuniz and Domingo Paez tell of the flourishing trade that existed here and the markets that overflowed with diamonds and precious stones.

Seeing Hampi

How you want to go about seeing Hampi is your choice. There’s an entire city to explore and you could spend days just soaking in the atmosphere of the place. Several tourists, especially westerners, like to hang out in close proximity of the ruins and spend hours doing nothing at all. The main sites of interest are the Sacred Centre, which includes the Virupaksha Temple and Hampi Bazar, and the Royal Centre.

Virupaksha Temple

One of the earliest structures to be built in Hampi, it is today a very peaceful place to visit. Try and get there early so there aren’t many tourists and you can see the stones come alive in the early morning rays of the sun. The temple complex houses a shrine for the goddess Pampadevi who is an incarnation of the goddess Parvati. Entrance is free from 6.30 to 8am and 6.30 to 8pm. At other hours the entry ticket costs Rs 5.

Hampi Bazar

All that remains today are the stone ruins bordering the road to the Virupaksha temple, but in its prime it was here that all the trade took place. The guide explains that traders would set up shop between the stone pillars and the scene was very much like today’s share market.

Achyutaraya Temple and Vittala Temple

Located in isolation at the foot of the Matanga hill, the temple is in a poor state of repair. But the scale of the front gateway is a stark reminder of its former glory. Continuing north-east towards the Vittala temple, you climb a rocky path and come upon a number of small piles of stones. Couples hoping to conceive visit this site and put stones as an offering. On becoming parents, they return to remove the stones.
The Vittala Temple is the highlight of the ruins, one of India’s three world heritage monuments. Work on the temple is thought to have started during Krishnadevaraya’s reign and though it was never finished or consecrated, the temple’s incredible sculptural work is the pinnacle of Vijayanagar art. The main temple hall on a raised platform has a cluster of intriguing small columns that, when struck, produce the sound of different classical instruments. Over the years, with innumerable and insensitive sightseers striking them, these pillars have worn out and today the practice is actively discouraged. Usually the temple caretaker will oblige a large group and strike the columns for a small tip.

Royal Centre

It houses monuments like the queen’s bath with its ingenious drainage and ventilation system that has a constant breeze blowing through it. The royal enclosure area was the most important structure of civic life, but sadly all that remains today is the stone. All the wooden buildings were burned down by the rampaging Muslim armies.
The stepped tank was uncovered recently after archaeologists figured that there must have been some kind of water entrapment system below huge aqueducts that terminated a few feet above the ground. One experience that shouldn’t be missed in Hampi is crossing the Tungabhadra by the corracles. These huge straw saucer-like boats have been around for centuries, the only difference being that the buffalo hide used to keep water out has been replaced by plastic.

Eating out in Hampi

Food is very cheap. A satisfying plate of four large idlis and a cup of authentic filter coffee will set you back by Rs 8 only. Even upmarket restaurants that serve super south Indian food will rarely set you back by Rs 100 for a meal for three.

Badami

Located 150km to the north of Hampi, Badami was briefly the capital of the Chalukyas and the rock-cut caves and sandstone temples here are definitely worth a visit.
The caves have super carvings and are dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Lord Buddha. The temples display 7th and 8th Chalukyan architecture and are still being excavated. They are centered around the 6th century artificial Agastytirtha tank that is functional even today. If there’s one temple that will definitely take your breath away for the serenity of its location, it is the Bhutana temple on the tank’s east bank. The hill behind the temple has few more temples under it because carved stones and idols are constantly being uncovered by the locals. According to the caretaker of the archeological museum on the north bank, there are plans to carry out a major excavation at the site.
A pleasant 20km drive away lies Pattadakal which has more temples, mainly the Virupaksha and Mallikarjuna temples built by Vikramaditya the second’s queens. The queens, Lokamahadevi and Trailokanahadevi, built them to commemorate his capture of the Kanchipuram from the Pallavas.

Hampi is just 13km away from Hospet, which offers better hotels and staying options. So if you have your own transport it makes better sense to stay in Hospet. The other option is to stay on Hippie Island across the river. But, be warned that the lodging and boarding, though cheap, is absolutely basic and you’ll have budget foreigners as neighbours — not to mention the full moon night-long rave parties. The guides also mention that the hotel owners here would rather have foreign tourists staying, but when the author went and inquired there was nothing to show that Indians were unwelcome.

IN DETAIL

Shanbhag Towers International
Shanbhag Circle, College Road
Hospet 583 201
Ph: 08394-225910 to 17
Fax: 91-8394-225919
The rooms are large, airy and unbelievably cheap.
The restaurant is across the road and serves mainly south Indian food. Try the rice plate that comes with a fiery sambhar.
Rates: Rs 400 double room (without AC) and Rs 500 (AC). Extra bed will cost Rs 50.

Rahul Guest House 
Tipi Restaurant
Near Bus Stand,
Hampi 583 239
Ph: 08394-241648
Very basic hotel near the bus stand. The rooms are small but clean and the toilets are basic.
Rates: Rs 100 a night.

Gautham Restaurant and Cottages
Hippie Island, Virupapura Gadde, North bank,
Hampi
Very basic cottages with an attached bathroom.
Rates: Rs 100 for a cottage with breakfast included.
 
Badami
Hotel Badami Court
Station Road
Badami 587 201
Ph: 08357-220230
Fax: 08357-220207
By far the best hotel in Badami and the only one worth staying in. Rooms are not too large but very clean; overall ambience of the place is very inviting. Also a swimming pool and 24-hour coffee shop.
Rates: Rs 1150 (AC double room) and Rs 1000 (non-AC room). Extra bed is Rs 150 extra.
The rates above include a free buffet breakfast.