Time Travel To The Vijayanagara Empire

“It’s not the monuments that teach us history. It’s the ruins.”

-Carl Hammaren

Historical places have a soul and the soul of that place connects to the soul of the person who loves history, who finds beauty in ruins, whose imagination takes flight into the past. Historical places are like time machines, we time travel imagining the real story of the place, the story behind those huge sculptures, buildings, the story of the king who ruled that place, the queen whose beauty enhanced the beauty of the palace and the people who lived in that era. We start thinking about the amount of hard-work and the level of artistry of the craftsman who sculpted those magnificent structures. The art, architecture and the majestic structures speaks for these places and one such place that connected to my soul and called me back for a second time is Hampi. Last time I was here with a group of unknown people and this time with my family. Both the time I noticed that Hampi is not for all, it’s just not for the ordinary people. Hampi is a place only for those who love History and those who love art and architecture. This is a place for the explorer, the hiker, the person who does not mind walking or climbing the extra distance to reach the monument and still with all the tiredness is enthusiastic to learn about the history of that structure.

From The Matanga Hills- Virupaksha Temple & The Setting Sun...!!!

A temple town, a village with historical significance recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Look around and all you find is beautiful architecture, temples, statues and heaps of giant boulders perched upon waving terrain. It’s a riddle to be solved by the historians; it’s a pilgrim’s delight and also a backpackers den. I was lost in the grandeur and I was aroused to scout over the ruins of Vijayanagara Empire in this vast town spread across more than 25sq km. The best way to tour this entire place is to rent a bi-cycle which is easily available in the Hampi bazaar. If you don’t want to ride a cycle you could just hire an auto rickshaw for the whole day and get going. Dotted around the hills and the plains there are around 500 plus monuments and structures. Beautiful temples, palaces, remains of splendid craftsmanship, ancient market streets, royal pavilions and halls, aesthetically designed mantaps, treasury buildings, elephant stables, royal bathing areas, underground temple complex, monkey temple believed to be lord hanumans birth place, Matanga Hill which has the best sunset view point .., the list is practically endless.

Entrance To The Vitthala Temple Complex...!!!

If I write about each and every significant and important places of this ruined town then I won’t be doing justice to this place. At every turn and corner you will find something of your interest and you will be mesmerised by its mystery. This place is left to the imagination of the person exploring it. I explored, I soaked myself into the mystery, I learned many interesting facts, and I captured the elegance of this place on my phone camera. The numerous huge boulders spread across the town and the valley also gives the adventure seeker an opportunity to try hands at rock climbing and feel the thrill.

One Of The Tiny Lanes Of Hampi...!!!

There are plenty of staying options available near the Hampi Bazaar starting from as low as 300bucks and most of the pilgrims and tourists stay here. For the foodies there are plenty of options and one of the best ones I found was Mango Tree Restaurant. The lane just opposite to the mango tree restaurant you will find a few family run small restaurants serving simple delicious South-Indian breakfast. Hampi Bazaar is full of shops and it’s a shopper’s delight, though I found the prices of the items very high, it’s again up to the shopper and his/her bargaining skills. Now if you looking for some fun in the evenings and make your night never ending then you should choose a stay at the Hippie Island across the river. Yes a Hippie Island among these ruins and close to this temple town, it’s a village called Virupapura Gadde and you need to hop on to a ferry and cross the river behind the Virupaksha Temple. The ferry ride costs just 10bucks per person and the other side of the river you will find small huts and cottages for stay starting from 500bucks. I stayed at Sunny’s Guest House one of the best place on this Hippie Island, but as I was with my family I could not do all that I would have done If I was alone or with my friends: P ;) On this Island you could hire a moped and explore the many ruins among hills and the valley. Most of the foreigners and backpackers stay here and to cater to their needs there are many restaurants and cafes serving cuisines from across the world. Live jam sessions, getting high and dancing to the tunes, what else does one need after the tiredness of the whole day exploring the historical Hampi. The next time I visit Hampi will be all alone to live the life of a history lover all day and a trippy by night ;) :D I made a few local friends this time and one guy with quite an interesting name “Googly” promised me to arrange anything and everything the next time I visit Hampi. I would suggest you guys to chose a stay across the river on the Hippie Island and enjoy the never ending nights and spend the days exploring the ruins and the mystery on the town side.

Keep Travelling, Keep Exploring & Cheerrzzzz To Fellow Wanderers...!!!