Our first long distance drive after returning to India was to Hampi, Karnataka, the capital of the Vijayanagara Kingdom (1337- 1550s). On the way, we took the shorter route that is mostly on state highways after an initial 75km stretch on the nice NH7 (now a 4-lane divided freeway).
This route stumbles through myriad towns and villages on mediocre roads until the last 50km where it resembled the lunar landscape. On the way back, we decided to take the longer (440km) route which took us through a longer (300km) stretch on NH7. I would recommend the longer but faster NH7 route anyday.
Of course, the purpose of this entry is not to analyze road conditions in modern day Karnataka, but to talk about a World Unesco Heritage site that represents the "last great Hindu" kingdom in the south. Legend has it that Harihara and Bukka were inspired by their guru Vidyaranya to establish the kingdom on a spot where during a hunting trip, they found a hare turning back and confronting the hounds that were giving it chase. There were also more pragmatic reasons such as the water from the nearby Tungabadra and the surrounding rocky hillocks which formed a natural fortress from the north. In the North was the Bahmani Sultanate (1347-1518) which after 1518 broke into five sultanates of Ahmednagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur and Golconda (Hyderabad).
As per Sastri (author of History of South India), the kingdom had a tumultous relationship with the Bahmanis with whom they waged wars at times and at other times forged alliances with one or two of them - the Sultanates of course were fighting among each other all the time. Finally in 1564-65, the Bahamanis decided to set aside their differences and united against their common enemy and waged the decisive battle of Talikota against Rama Raya (the last noteworthy Vijayanagara ruler) on the banks of the Krishna. The battle was going in favor of Rama Raya, until supposedly two of his Muslim commanders deserted him and joined the enemies with thousands of soldiers. Rama Raya himself was killed and the Bahmani army pillaged and burnt Hampi for months leaving it in its current ruined state.
So what you see in Hampi today is mostly in ruins but enough evidence of its one-time greatness is there to be seen. The only intact temple is the Vrupaksha (Lord Siva) temple. In most of the other temples, the super-structure is all gone and you only see the mandapam level (ground floor). The vimanas (tower above the main shrine) and gopurams are all gone. The Vittala (Lord Vishnu) temple must have been a glorious temple, which consists of the famous stone chariot and mandapas with "musical pillars" - three pronged pillars where mildly tapping on one of them reverberates musically through the rest of the pillar. You see long colonnaded bazars in front of each temple which were once bustling marketplaces for everything from precious gems to Arabian horses.
There are three stunning monolithic statues - two of Ganesha including the Kadalekalu (peanut-bellied) Ganesha and Narasimha (reconstructed partially by the Architectural Survey of India). You now only see the arm of Lakshmi who was sitting on Narasimha's left lap. The yoga band around his knees has been reworked by ASI.
The Zenana or the Royal enclosure houses the king and queen's palaces, (what is left of them) a gigantic "parking garage" for the royal elephants (which interestingly is mostly intact) and a beautiful bathing pool. We saw some lighting work in progress for a project called "Hampi by Night" which if done right could offer another way to experience Hampi.
The coracle (தெப்பம்) ride on the Tungabadra is a must-do and is a good way to get to the Vittala temple from downtown Hampi or from the quaint Mango Tree outdoor restaurant which is further upstream. Hampi is best visited during the winter months as the heat in central Deccan seems to be only amplified by the rock faces that are in abundance in the area. We decided to stay in an upmarket hotel outside Hampi which was fine if boring; if you're feeling a bit more adventurous you could go for the charming little guest houses (Indian equivalent "B&B"s) right in Hampi.
- Balaji
