We have boarded train from Hyderabad at night and reached hosapete by next day 9am. From here, you can reach Hampi either by bus or auto. Bus station is about 1.5km from the railway station. We went by auto and it costed 300rs.
We stayed in Shiva home stay which is about 10 mins from Hampi. It's highly recommended.
Hampi is basically divided into 2 parts, both on each side of river Tungabadra. We decided explore the other side of river which is known as the hippie island. Ferry is available and boat ride will cost 10rs per person. Coracle ride is also available to cross the river and it costs 100rs per person. Boat services are available only till 6pm. After that coracle services are available till 7.30pm.
So many shacks are present where we will get non veg foods. This is the hippie side of hampi. We went to a shack called Happy Hampi. Ambience is very good. Food was great. They also provide bike rentals which costs 300 for 3 hours + petrol costs (100/litre).
Next destination was sanapur lake. On the way we can see Virupapura Gadde. It is the area just across the river from near the Virupaksha Temple. The place is known for its laidback ambient, lodges and tourist huts.
Next we headed to Sanapur lake which is a reservoir fed by Tungabadra Dam canal. It is calm and quiet place to spend our evenings. One can even go for coracle rides here.
On top of the Anjaneya Hill, at a distance of 2 kilometres from the Virupaksha Temple, the beautiful Yantradharaka Hanuman Temple also known as the Monkey Temple is present inside a cave. The temple being 500 years old is dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Sri Vyasaraja, who was the Rajaguru of the Vijayanagara Kingdom and a Dwaita philosopher, was the one to install the idol of Lord Hanuman in the temple. Being one of the most famous attractions of the Anjeyanadri Hill, the Monkey Temple is considered as a sacred spot for all the Hindus.
There are other places to visit like Pampa Sarovar and Anegundi fort. We reached the ferry by around 6.30pm and so we took coracle to reach the other side.
We had our dinner at Mango tree cafe and headed back to our hotel.
We hired an auto to explore hampi which charges 150 per person.
First, we went to Vittala temple which is one of the largest and the most famous structure in Hampi. The iconic temple has amazing stone structures such as the incomparable stone chariot and the fascinating musical pillars. Entry fees is 40 per person.
The Queen’s Bath in Hampi is a colossal bath that exemplifies the architectural excellence prevalent during the days of the Vijayanagara Empire.
The Royal Enclosure in Hampi is one of the interesting ruins of Hampi. The huge fortified area was once the centre of the Vijayanagara Empire. The Royal Enclosure, as the name indicates, was the place where the King of Vijayanagara Empire lived and ruled from. This area was secured by double walls. It had three entrances, two on the northern side and one on the western side.
Prasanna Virupaksha temple aka Underground Shiva temple is one of oldest temples in Hampi.
An interesting fact about the Prasanna Virupaksha temple is that it is located a few metres below the ground level. The roof of the temple is at par with the present ground level while the main structure of the temple stands on a low lying area. The reason behind such a unique location for the construction of the temple is not known.
Badavilinga is the largest Linga in Hampi. Located next to the Lakshmi Narasimha statue the Linga is housed inside a chamber with an opening in the front.
