A place that is sure to steal your heart and shower abundance of serenity and pure magic upon your soul.
Hampi is a small temple town in Karnataka and today famously known as the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE. This place had stayed in my bucket list for quite some time and December 2019 was when I got it ticked off.
Let me be honest here, I wasn't much excited to visit this place even though it had a place in my bucket list for quite some time. I always thought this place would only appeal to all the archeology enthusiasts out there. And oh boy, I was proved completely wrong the moment I reached this place. The next two days were pure bliss, if not more. There's so much more to this place than just being a town etched in the ruins of the magnificent times bygone.
Magical sunsets, mighty boulders, serene lake side walks and the happiness in the air; that was Hampi for me. What this place offered me was just so different than my usual trips. It gave me a chance to let loose and let go off my usual reserved self while I drenched my soul into the natural beauty that this place had to offer.
This town is divided into two parts. The temple side and the other side also known as the Hippie island(as they call it).
We decided to stay on the other side of the Tungabhadra river (i.e. Hippie island). We took a boat ride to reach there (That's the only option). The place where we stayed was a homestay; comfortable and unique in its own way. It had a very relaxed vibe around it. I guess the whole of hippie island had a very laid back vibe to itself.
Day 1 :
We spent the first day in exploring the hippie island (Anegudi village). The evening was just so beautiful and I fell in love with the sunset there. For the first time I witnessed the mighty stacked boulders that were balanced so perfectly. One can be completely awed by the look of these giant stones of nature's wonder. I tried climbing few of those (the small one's of course). And I can say it was fun.
We saw vast paddy fields accompanied by palm trees all along the roads. A typical countryside portrait was what I was seeing. The locals were ready to help wherever needed with a smile on their face.
Taking a walk by the Sanapur lake in the evening was the most beautiful part of the day. Watching the calmness of the water swirled up a bunch of thoughts in my head. I spent an hour just sitting by the lake and allowed myself to indulge in the rhythm of the moment. I saw the sun going down painting the sky above me in magical hues of orange and purple. Later on, we went to a cafe for a hot cup of coffee to end the evening. I don't remember the name of the café but it had a small waterfall besides it. Another beautiful sight to behold while sipping that hot coffee.
After that we returned to our homestay for dinner. The food at the restaurant of the place that we stayed was amazing. It had almost every cuisine to offer be it Italian, Mexican, Middle Eastern or the local south Indian. We tried Italian and we weren't disappointed. We met a bunch of people at the restaurant and spent the rest of the night in making memories along with some new friends.
Day 2 :
The next leg of our trip started with a refreshing breakfast overlooking the paddy fields juxtaposed with the huge boulders. By then I was a Hampi fan in my heart. We explored a bit more of this place for the next couple of hours and later took a coracle(another very Hampi thing to do) ride to reach the other side of the river. On our way to the famous Vitthala Temple, we saw the scattered pieces of archeological ruins.
One advice, stay very hydrated and wear a good sunscreen while in Hampi because the afternoons are harsh and the sun goes wild.
Vitthala temple is the epicenter of all the attractions in Hampi, extravagant in its form and a marvel of architecture build during 15 century AD. This place is a photographer's canvas and is home to the famous Stone Chariot.
Amazed by the sight of the stone chariot, we then walked through the Hampi bazar and had lunch at the famous Mango Tree Restaurant. This place is a hit because of its mouth watering local food and you should not miss this during your visit to Hampi.
Our next stop was the sunset point which is located in the hippie island and you cannot give this a miss. Its a small and easy hike and costs nothing. The view from this place is mesmerizing an hour before the sunset and is frequented by people playing various hand held musical instruments.
You get to watch the sun setting through in the most peaceful way ever. I guess that was the most picturesque sunset I have ever seen. I sat there quietly and saw the last light bidding goodbye to me albeit with a promise to come out brighter the next day.
With the sunset hues all over our minds, we moved to our homestay to enjoy the dinner which was set in the middle of the paddy fields by our host along with the bonfire to keep us warm on a chilly wintery night.
I had a magical time during this trip and it was not an iota of what I had earlier imagined it to be. Needless to say, it was way more enriching and absolutely worthy.
Hampi, A place where magic happens. It gave me a chance to look at life with a very different lens and shed all the pre conceived notions that we all tend to have at some or the other point in life. So just cancel all your 'never-happening' Goa plans and make a promise to yourself to witness the magic of this place.
Plan, pack and leave! Happy Hampi !