Travel : Hampi - A Place which Time Forgot

I never get tired of exploring what India has to offer in terms of history, culture and heritage. And there is nothing better than travelling places to soak ourselves in this mystique called India.

Finally, this week, I was able to tick Hampi out of my travel bucket. 

It has been there on my mind right from the time I got posted to Bengaluru in July 2020. Obviously CoViD related travel restrictions took out a better part of the first year of posting. Since then, however, I have been trying to make amends for the lost time and do my best to explore the Southern India in the best way possible..... partly to satiate my own latent desires, and partly for the children who must grow up knowing our Incredible India; and what better way to do that, than to travel and explore. Hampi was always right up there in the list of travel priorities. 

But probably the "Call from Kishkindha" never came in the right earnest.... 

till this week, that is...

The work commitments take their own toll; but I have continued to manage small little windows of holidays to try to visit all the 'essential' places, if not the lesser explored ones. Chennai, Mamallapuram, Puducherry, Tiruchirapalli, Thanjavur, Madurai and Rameshwaram fill up my Tamilnadu bucket for now. So while Bengaluru, Mysore, Ooty and Coorg is not bad to be in the Karnataka bucket thus far; it was Hampi that was always silently whispering in my ears to come over.

I had to cancel my Hampi plans twice earlier due to official commitments. And when I eventually made it recently, everything fell into place to have an absolute feeling of deja vu. As if I was destined to visit Hampi in the best of manners possible.

My best time to plan any travel is whenever I get leave from work. So no peak season or off season, no summers or winters, no this festival or that.... The best time is whenever you get leave. But this time, after two cancellations, finally I got to visit Hampi when it was actually the best time to visit (November to February). So that's first stroke of luck...

The second being that it happened to be our 20th marriage anniversary... And when you call up the first recommended Homestay and the first recommended Tour Guide and find them both available, you feel that the stars are aligned for a nice trip..

That aside, I will not go on to narrate as to why Hampi needs to be explored. There are enough YouTube videos and web links which explain the marvel on offer in Hampi. Please watch those and read about the place. A place which is seeped in historical, mythological, cultural and architectural significance, all woven together, needs to be explored. Needs to be seen by our children. This is the essence of our India.

It is not about one temple or one palace or one fort, one river or one idol. Featuring in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1986, it is listed there as "Group of Monuments at Hampi". Hampi is like an open museum and needs to be explored at a leisurely pace.

..... And leisurely pace is what I got with my three nights stay there. 

I will now summarise my trip planning and visit for the benefit of all who plan to visit Hampi. Now, this is purely how I planned the trip from Bengaluru, what all I saw and what all I learnt.... and there will be different versions from different travellers. So to all, their own.

05 Feb 2023, Bengaluru, 5.45 am.... It was a misty morning with a light cold breeze... Sun was not yet out and there was a tinge of chill in the air... Romance of a Sunday morning 😊

I was on four days' leave (Sunday - Wednesday)... Packing off stuff and family in the car to try to move out of home fast to avoid Bengaluru traffic and traffic lights as much as possible.

Travel 

* We had hired a cab for the entire duration.

* Distance from Bengaluru 345 km

* Excellent road all the way... NH-48 and NH-50

Route 

Bengaluru - 70 km - Tumkuru - 51 km - Sira - 40 km - Hiriyur - 40 km - Chitradurga (Bypass) - 82 km - Kudligi - 45 km - Hosapete - 11 km - Kamalapura - 4 km - Hampi

Recommended Halt Enroute

NH-48 has good number of wayside drive-in restaurants i.e. till short of Chitradurga.

Just short of NH-48/NH-50 junction, there is an outlet of Hotel Sarvodaya Veg towards the right of road while going towards Hampi. It is clean and spacious, has adequate parking space, vegetarian South Indian Menu and clean washroom.

After that, once on NH-50, there will be no decent place to have a stopover till Hosapete.

On NH-50, lookout for Hotel Anand Vihar. A two years old restaurant, it is located towards the 

left of road (as we go towards Hampi), at Hulikere, approx 40 km after crossing Chitradurga. Serves vegetarian South Indian Menu. Spacious. Open surroundings with lot of greenery around. Clean and hygienic washroom for both gents and ladies. Sufficient parking space.

Accomodation at Hampi

We stayed in Padma Guest House (near Virupaksha Temple) at Hampi Village - (Owner Saagar, 9480152979)... I had coordinated with them a couple of days before starting from Bengaluru.

Positives

Located in the heart of Hampi Village.

Virupaksha Temple is just 300 ft away from here.

2-Bed and 3-Bed Rooms available.

Clean rooms and bathrooms.

Preferably, book a first floor room with temple

Temple View from Balcony 

view from balcony. 

WiFi is available.

Basic Toiletries provided.

Space available for parking of car.

Negatives

No TVs in any room. They should instal Dish TV arrangements; though honestly I never felt the need in these three days.

Quality of towels and toiletries needs improvement, which he has assured me to do.

Do not expect the luxuries of any hotel.

Other Options for Accommodation

A few other Homestays/ Guest Houses are present in Hampi Village near Padma Guest House. They all provide options for 2/3/4/5 Bed Rooms. 

Eg Santosh Guest House (8277801153, 8277743353, 9449605136)

Ranjana Guest House (9480599681)

Geeta Hotel (9480590068).

But Padma Guest House, being the corner most, gives you open surroundings and temple view from balcony.

Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneshwari (KSTDC, 3-Star) and Hotel Clarks-Inn (3-Star) are located in Kamalapura. It is a busy small village located by the highway side at the southern fringe of the Hampi ruins, 4km from Hampi Bazaar. You will be visiting Kamalapura as some of the major attractions are located here. It is the area outside the religious inner core area of Hampi. Non-vegetarian cuisine (and chilled beer too!) is served (legally). That's unlike the Guesthouses around Hampi village where non-veg food and alcohol is not permitted. A few lodges are also there in Kamalapura. 

If you are into a bit more adventurism and budget, explore stay at Hampi Heritage and Wilderness Resort, near Kannada University (www.junglelodges.com, www.jlrexplore.com)

They have 3-bed cottages in a forest environment and charge Rs 3500/- per person per day, inclusive of all meals and their sightseeing tours and safari.

Other good hotels are all located in Hosapete, approx 14 km from Hampi.

Towards the north of Tungabhadra River, Sanapura village has many Homestays and small hotels. You may plan to stay there after duly weighing the factor of distance and travel time to Hampi.

Tour Guide

I used the services of Sarvesh (7026355700), through a reference on Forces Network.

I had booked him a couple of days before starting from Bengaluru.

He is a young boy who graduated from Hospete in 2013 and takes his job very seriously, with an effervescent smile. He is also a trained ornithologist and will make your treks extremely invigorating with his knowledge of birds all around, which Hampi has no dearth of.

Day 1

We started from Bengaluru in our hired cab  at 6 am and reached Hampi at 12.30 pm , at a comfortable pace with a couple of short halts.

Checked-in the Guest House and took rest till 4 pm. Explored Hampi from 4-7 pm.

Started on foot from our Guest House at 4 pm with our Tour Guide Sarvesh....

Visited Virupaksha Temple.

(Besides everything else, do not forget to see the Pin-hole Inverted golden colour image of temple. The image will be dark grey in forenoon and golden colour in the afternoon.)

Walked along the Virupaksha Bazaar.

Drove by car to Krishna Temple and sent our vehicle back to the Guest House.

Visited Krishna Temple and saw Krishna Bazaar close by...

Walked across to see 8' Mustard Seed Ganesha idol...

Climbed atop the Hemakuta Hill Top nearby. Hemakuta Hill is a canvas of stones which is

Sunset from Hemakuta Top

sprinkled with ancient temples (9th-14th Century). The top of the hill is a stretch of rocky sheet that is almost flat. We looked for a quiet place for a calm and serene sunset view.

After sunset, we walked downhill across on the other side towards the Virupaksha Temple to reach our Guest House at 7 pm.

Dinner at 8 pm at Mango Tree Restaurant (Veg Only). Very good ambience with a variety of menu. Do not rely on Google Maps to reach Mango Tree as it was originally located in Hampi Bazaar, but it is temporarily functioning from a different location in Kamalapura.

Day 2

Start the day at 7.00 am. Remember to carry water bottles (and a binocular if possible) in a shoulder carry bag. 

(If you are a nature freak, you may start the day by watching sunrise from Matanga Top at 5.30 am. It involves good uphill trek.)

Take your vehicle or an auto to reach the far end of Virupaksha Bazaar at the Utsava Mandapa. You can also walk till there (approx 500m).

If you are in a hired cab, the cab should drop you till this place and then tell the cab driver to go and wait at the parking space of Viththal Temple, where you will be reaching on foot after a couple of hours.

See Monolithic Nandi.

Just behind the Monolithic Nandi, there are some stairs which you will follow.

Virupaksha Temple
view from above the
Monolithic Nandi 

Do not forget to turn back and have a look at the mesmerizing view of Virupaksha Temple from here.

Start climbing along the route to Achyutaraya Temple. This part of the trek needs a little care while negotiating the stones.

Reach Achyutaraya Pura and see

Achyutaraya Temple, Achyutaraya Bazaar, Achyutaraya Pushkarani and Utsav Mandapa.

Continue the trek to reach Kodandarama Temple.

Breakfast Break at Kodandarama Temple. There is a small shack which serves Idlis with authentic Coconut Chutney and Red Chilli Chutney alongwith delicious hot Pakodas (Aaloo and Mirchi). 

You can also enjoy Coracle Ride in Tungabhadra River here. But you may find the ride costlier here as compared to Sanapur Lake.

Recommence the trek to see the Varaha Temple, Sugriva Cave and Wish Tree (Banyan).

Reach Purandara Dasara Mandapa.

Take a 15'-20' break here in the Mandapa to enjoy the scenic flow of Tungabhadra River... It's an awesome feeling...

Continue the trek to reach Viththal Pura.

There is a newly constructed clean Wash Room here for both gents and ladies. 

Visit Vijay Viththal Temple.

See Kings's Balance, Stone Chariot, Musical Pillars and various Mandapas.

Either walk along the Viththal Bazaar to the parking area (approx 800m) or take an e-rickshaw.

Drive for lunch at Shri Basaveshwar Lingayat Khanavali. 

We had traditional Puranpoli Thaali for lunch. 

Our cab was waiting here in the parking. Headed back to our Guest House at 2 pm and took rest till 4.15 pm.

Started again at 4.30 pm.

Visited Hampi Archaeological Museum at Kamalapura.

Drove to Janaanaa Enclosure near the Royal Enclosure. Visited Queens' Palace, Lotus Mahal, Watch Towers and Elephant Stables.

Drove to Malayawanta Raghunath Parvat (aka Chatur-maas Parvat in Tretaa Yug) at 6 pm... 

Watched Sunset in absolute peace and serenity from the hill top...

Returned back to Guest House at 6.30 pm.

Dinner at 8 pm at Hampi Heritage and Wilderness Resort (Jungle Lodge), near

Kannada University. You will have to tell them in the afternoon if you want to have your dinner there. They layout buffet dinner for their in-house guests with a good menu of veggies and non vegetarian items. Call up their manager Mr Siddaraj (9449597874) for booking of dinner.  Charges Rs 500/- per person. 

Day 3

Recommended to start early, but we started the day at 8 am with our Tour Guide in our cab.

Headed to Kishkindha Nagri (via Bukkasagar - Tungabhadra River - Kadebagilu - Anegundi Village). It took us about 40' to reach the base of Anjanadri Parvat.

Visited Anjanadri Temple.

There is a small market at the base of hillock. You can buy some religious souvenirs like fridge magnets, key chains, idols etc. We had Breakfast in one of the many shacks here 

Drove to Sanapur Village Lake. This drive is dotted with severals hotels and Homestays astride the road on both sides.

Experienced Coracle Ride for thirty minutes.

Coracle Ride 

(You must exercise your bargaining power here.)

Drove back and crossed Anjanadri Parvat to visit Vijayalaxmi Temple,  Pampa Sarovar and Shabri Cave.

Drove to Durga Devi Hill and visited Durga Devi Temple, Vijaynagar Fort (aka Anegundi Fort) and Vaali Cave.

It involves a mild climb of approximately 600m from the vehicle parking space.

Drove back via Anegundi Village to visit Nav-Vrindavana which is a cemetery of great followers of Vyasa Guru. It involves a short motor boat ride. You also get to see 64-Pillars (cremation place of Raja Krishna Dev Rai) in Tungabhadra River.

You may choose to visit Chintamani located close-by. Lord Rama is believed to have given his Signet Ring, meant for Sita, to Hanuman here before Hanuman went to meet Sita in Ashok Vaatika.

It was 12.40 pm by now, and we drove back towards Kamalapura.

Lunch at Hampi Paradise Restaurant. Decent place with adequate space and hygienic

surroundings including an air conditioned enclosure. Gives adequate variety on the menu to include Pastas and Pizzas besides Indian Vegetarian food.

Headed back to our Guest House at 1.45 pm and took rest till 4.00 pm.

Started again at 4 pm.

Visited Queen's Bath near Royal Enclosure. 

Drove to Underground Siva Temple (Prasanna Virupaksha Temple)

Drove back towards Hazara Rama Temple. An amazing piece of architecture with the entire Ramayana carved on to its walls. Let your Tour Guide explain it to you in detail.

Drove to the Royal Enclosure and saw

      Lathe Machine (Outside entrance)

      Darbar Hall Platform

      Secret Chamber 

      Soldier Food Plates (Kadappa

      Stone made)

      Step Well Pushkarni,

      Mahanavmi Dibba

      King's Administrative Block

      King's Audience Hall

Drove back to Hampi and saw 6.7m Monolithic Laxmi-Narasimha Statue, 3m high Monolithic Badavi Linga and 18' Ganesha Idol.

Returned back to Guest House at 6.30 pm.

Dinner at Mango Tree at 8 pm.

Day 4

Started back from Hampi at 6 am.

Reached Bengaluru at 12.15 pm with a couple of short halts.

Note Important Points

* Wherever you plan to stay, you should co-ordinate and confirm your accommodation and tour guide before beginning the journey.

* Most sites/ places in Hampi close by 5.30-6 pm. Plan your sightseeing accordingly.

* It's best to have a hired cab with you throughout your trip. If you are without own transport, trust your Tour Guide to advise you appropriately.

* Bicycles and Bikes are available on hire near Virupaksha Temple.

* A small Binocular will be a good asset for Bird Watching during treks.

* Footwears suitable for mild rock climbs, should be worn. Especially ladies should avoid any footwear with heels.

* "Vijay Utsav" or "Hampi Utsav" is conducted for three days in the first week of November. However, the 2022 edition was conducted in end January. It may have a bearing on your planning dates.

* Every temple that you see (Virupaksha, Krishna, Achyutaraya, Viththal) has a Dravidian style architecture and has a standard layout inside and outside. The inside has five Mandapas : Mukh Mandapa, Maha Mandapa, Navrang/ Natya Mandapa, Shoka Nasha Mandapa and Garbha Griha. The outside area will have a Bazaar, a Pushkarni and an Utsav Mandapa. It's good to understand these from your Tour Guide.

* There are several eating places with some exotic names in the area of Hampi Bus Stop and Janatha Plot (Hampi Bazaar) like Chill-out Bamboo Restaurant, Hampi Roof Restaurant, Taste of Hampi etc. They are all crowded and I would not recommend them. You may check them out.

* In addition to all that you would read on the internet and watch on YouTube, I strongly recommend everyone to watch the YouTube videos by Praveen Mohan for some very interesting insight into the magic of Hampi. Someone said that he is like the Einstein of Ancient Indian History.

....... To Conclude,

The still-standing monuments of Hampi, with their carefully articulated design and sculpture, pay tribute to the opulence and grandeur of the Vijay Nagar Empire. For the divine, the Hemakuta Hill and  Virupaksha Temple are soaked with the tales of Mahadev; but the more you venture around, the more the air reverberates with the presence of Lord Rama and Hanuman and the stories of Kishkindha in the bygone Tretaa Yug. Dwaapar Yug too has its footprints here with the meeting of Bhim and Lord Hanuman. 

Today these ruins may be screaming about the unread pages of our history and untold stories, but the Archaeological Survey of India is doing a phenomenal job of putting Hampi to life. A lot more needs to be done. Let's do our bit by visiting here and let ourselves and our next generation soak in the history and heritage of the place.

Credits

https://www.karnataka.com>hampi

https://thetalesofatraveler.com

https://hampi.in

Images Courtesy World Wide Web