Hampi is the grand, elaborate site of the last capital of the last great Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar. Its fabulously rich princes built incredible and expansive temples and palaces that were frequently visited and admired by travellers and traders between the 14th and 16th centuries. Conquered in a Muslim invasion in 1565, the city was pillaged, temples were destroyed, and eventually it was abandoned.
Today Hampi is primarily ruins. Once a capital of an empire that housed over 500,000 people, Hampi has been left to a few remaining townspeople, mostly operating guesthouses and catering to the pilgrims and tourists. However most of the temples are only admired, as Hindu’s do not worship idols that have been broken.
Hampi’s spectacular setting is dominated by craggy hill ranges with incredible boulder outcroppings, open plains with patches of intense greenery and palm trees, a river that runs through the city, and widespread physical remains. The sophistication of the varied urban, royal and sacred systems is evident from the more than 1600 surviving remains that include forts, riverside features, royal and sacred complexes, temples, shrines, pillared halls, memorial structures, gateways, defense check posts, stables, water structures, etc. some of which have only been discovered by archeologists in the past 30 years.
We spent the past independent travel weekend bearing the 105-degree weather to explore the ruins and learn more about Hampi’s incredible and unique history.
On the first day, following a very rough overnight bus ride, we climbed hundreds of steps in the height of the day to the Hanuman (the monkey god) temple, perched on a giant mountainous boulder overlooking the most picturesque landscape. Beautifully green palm trees and fields interspersed with rock outcroppings made for an incredible view. Giant ruins became specks in the distance. We were on the top of the world. Looking down, we could see the winding path that leading back to the bottom of the mountain. The temple’s simple white washed dome with a colorful point reminded me of Buddhist temples in Tibetan communities. This was the first Hanuman temple we have encountered in India and was a great first one to see as Hampi is said to actually be the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. It was fitting as monkeys clambered around the rocks, jumping from one to another, drinking from a pool left in one of the crevices.
We wandered through the town stumbling upon an ancient bazaar, now just rows of pillars. We later learned this used to be where spices, gold, diamonds, cloths, etc. were traded to travelers journeying from the other side of the world. We wandered among the pillars, the lowering sun casting a golden glow on the rocks. On the other side of a hill a grand, abandoned temple lay nestled between rocks and luscious palm trees. It was eerie wandering through its rooms as the sun lowered further in the sky, no one else around, with only nature sounds wafting through the air. We sat in peace and watched as the sun set over the great pyramid temple, perched on a boulder high above the ground.
In the morning we signed up for a guided bike tour through the heart of Hampi. We met travelers from Germany and the Netherlands also along for the journey. Our guide took us around the main sites in Hampi, explaining important details and history. Without him, another statue may have been just that – another statue. But his commentary made the stones come to life. I tried to imagine what this place would have been like hundreds of years ago, at the height of the empire, a bustling metropolis, compared by some to ancient Greece and Rome. We visited temples that had been buried over the years, only recently discovered by archeologists, and the grand palace of Hampi’s rulers. We stood up high on the festival platform, looking out at what was now only the base of different walls and rooms. We spent the rest of the day with our new friends setting out to find the famed Vittala temple wandering along the winding river. Once we found it we spent the next few hours chatting, perched high above the temple, looking within its walls, the Hanuman temple visible across the river. That evening it was back on the bus to Manipal, all of us exhausted from a hot and tiring, but well spent, weekend.
Today Hampi is primarily ruins. Once a capital of an empire that housed over 500,000 people, Hampi has been left to a few remaining townspeople, mostly operating guesthouses and catering to the pilgrims and tourists. However most of the temples are only admired, as Hindu’s do not worship idols that have been broken.
Hampi’s spectacular setting is dominated by craggy hill ranges with incredible boulder outcroppings, open plains with patches of intense greenery and palm trees, a river that runs through the city, and widespread physical remains. The sophistication of the varied urban, royal and sacred systems is evident from the more than 1600 surviving remains that include forts, riverside features, royal and sacred complexes, temples, shrines, pillared halls, memorial structures, gateways, defense check posts, stables, water structures, etc. some of which have only been discovered by archeologists in the past 30 years.
We spent the past independent travel weekend bearing the 105-degree weather to explore the ruins and learn more about Hampi’s incredible and unique history.
On the first day, following a very rough overnight bus ride, we climbed hundreds of steps in the height of the day to the Hanuman (the monkey god) temple, perched on a giant mountainous boulder overlooking the most picturesque landscape. Beautifully green palm trees and fields interspersed with rock outcroppings made for an incredible view. Giant ruins became specks in the distance. We were on the top of the world. Looking down, we could see the winding path that leading back to the bottom of the mountain. The temple’s simple white washed dome with a colorful point reminded me of Buddhist temples in Tibetan communities. This was the first Hanuman temple we have encountered in India and was a great first one to see as Hampi is said to actually be the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. It was fitting as monkeys clambered around the rocks, jumping from one to another, drinking from a pool left in one of the crevices.
We wandered through the town stumbling upon an ancient bazaar, now just rows of pillars. We later learned this used to be where spices, gold, diamonds, cloths, etc. were traded to travelers journeying from the other side of the world. We wandered among the pillars, the lowering sun casting a golden glow on the rocks. On the other side of a hill a grand, abandoned temple lay nestled between rocks and luscious palm trees. It was eerie wandering through its rooms as the sun lowered further in the sky, no one else around, with only nature sounds wafting through the air. We sat in peace and watched as the sun set over the great pyramid temple, perched on a boulder high above the ground.
In the morning we signed up for a guided bike tour through the heart of Hampi. We met travelers from Germany and the Netherlands also along for the journey. Our guide took us around the main sites in Hampi, explaining important details and history. Without him, another statue may have been just that – another statue. But his commentary made the stones come to life. I tried to imagine what this place would have been like hundreds of years ago, at the height of the empire, a bustling metropolis, compared by some to ancient Greece and Rome. We visited temples that had been buried over the years, only recently discovered by archeologists, and the grand palace of Hampi’s rulers. We stood up high on the festival platform, looking out at what was now only the base of different walls and rooms. We spent the rest of the day with our new friends setting out to find the famed Vittala temple wandering along the winding river. Once we found it we spent the next few hours chatting, perched high above the temple, looking within its walls, the Hanuman temple visible across the river. That evening it was back on the bus to Manipal, all of us exhausted from a hot and tiring, but well spent, weekend.