HAMPI Trip – An Experience to Remember

We retirees from all over the country became friends at Sobha Dream Acres, a gorgeous apartment complex in East Bangalore. One of us, a former principal of KLES College, enjoys taking leisurely drives outside of the city to spend time in nature and rejuvenate. As a result, we made the decision to travel occasionally.

While drinking tea one Monday morning, the four of us made the spontaneous decision to spend a day in Hampi. And in a matter of minutes, we used booking.com to reserve a homestay for Wednesday.

As the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from the 14th to the 16th centuries, Hampi—a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986—was a thriving center of trade, Hindu culture, wisdom, and literature, as well as agriculture and marketplaces along the banks of the mighty Tungabhadra River. After 1565, the invaders reduced Hampi to ruins. What is left, though, are the magnificent remnants of the area, the vast size of the deserted city, and the priceless craftsmanship of the monuments.

This was not anyone's first time in Hampi, so we didn't just want to see ruins, we wanted to immerse ourselves in the region and get lost. On a pleasant November (20/11/24) morning, we assembled at gate 1 of our complex at 5:59 AM to begin our journey right away in order to avoid the traffic in Bangalore and enjoy the pleasant weather. Within an hour or less, we were out of the city limits and hit the national highway 4. The next two-hour was a pleasant drive on the four-lane fenced expressway and we reached Chitradurga at 9.15 AM. We had breakfast at the famous Sri Laxmi Bhavan tiffin room, Chitradurga (on a popular YouTuber's recommendation) to fill our bellies with khali dosas. Although the khali dosa was fine, we did not enjoy the restaurant's atmosphere.

A brief visit was made to Chitradurga Fort, where we climbed to reach Onake Obavva kindi. Obavva, a brave woman who hid in a very narrow crevice to kill the enemy soldiers entering the fort! Numerous novels are written about the heroics of local warriors including Obavva against invaders. We enjoyed trekking as the weather was cloudy and pleasant that day. ?

Following a brief stop at the SJM college of pharmacy (to meet my student, who is the principal of the college there) to have tea for 30 minutes, we got back on track on NH 50 at 11:50 AM, and drove steadily for two hours on the well-paved roads of NH 50 and Kudligi town. With yellow flowers trees in the wide divider, palm and coconut trees on both sides, and numerous tall windmills on top of wavy hillocks, the route (NH 50) was pretty scenic.

We stopped at Shanti Sagar restaurant, Hospet, before arriving in Hampi around 3 PM- 9 hours since we left Bangalore - and went straight to our homestay in Kaddirampur, 3-4 km from the monuments of Hampi. After resting and stretching, we started our visits armed with maps and suggestions from the owner of the Homestay, Shekhar.

First, we visited Queen’s bath, where royal women used to bath, as its name says. Based on the size of the structure, it appeared the royal women spent a lot of time in their baths. Our navigation was a bit confused first, but we eventually found the right path. ?The urban set of ruins was the heart of Vijaynagara Empire. We walked through the Mahanavami Dibba, stepped tanks, secret chambers, the king's audience hall, and we also saw the ceremonial platform, which reflected the cultural aspect of the rulers, and many other scattered ruins including Hazara Rama temple nearby. ?One of Hampi’s most impressive monuments is the Hazara Rama temple’s superbly decorated walls. ?We then visited the Lotus Mahal (after paying an entrance fee of INR 35 per head on digital payment), said to be the social area for the royal women. The Lotus Mahal structure resembles a lotus bud and is embellished with delicate arches and fine geometric designs. The Elephant Stable is a stunning site where royal elephants were cared for. We ended the trip with a spectacular sunset at Hemakuta Hill, perfect for a panoramic view of Hampi's ruins. Hampi was beautiful during the sun set as the sun disappeared across its expanse. On our way back to our homestay, we stopped for tea on the Hampi road. A bit tired, we relaxed in the homestay for about an hour. We started conversions in the open balcony. We laughed together and enjoyed the simplicity and beauty of the moment. This is exactly what we planned for a moment like this. Added to this joy was the decent service from the homestay owner and the delicious dinner he provided.

Early the next morning, it was cool and empty, and we departed after a hot cup of tea. To start our day. we drove east of Hemkuta Hill to visit Kadalekalu Ganapathy. ?Moving ahead, we parked our car and walked towards the mesmerizing Virupaksha Temple (dedicated to Lord Shiva) - a masterpiece that has stood for centuries. Built in the 15th century, the east tower (gopuram) is an imposing structure with 9 stories and 50 meters high.

Getting ready quickly, we drove to Vittala Temple complex. We were astounded by the unbelievable boulder arrangements amidst a verdant expanse of palm and coconut trees on our way to Vittala Temple. We walked one and half kilometer to reach the dilapidated gopuram of the complex from the road. The iconic and much photographed Stone Chariot stands immediately in front of the main shrine. As depicted on the 50 Rupee note, the Stone Chariot is recognizable to everyone in india. An old tree with eerie branches and no leaves gave the temple an odd air glamour. We drove back from here to Bangalore at 10.30 AM, stopping at Hospet for a brunch break and at Paakashala, Chitradurga HW for rest and food. We reached our home at 8.45 PM without experiencing much traffic in city limits.

Words cannot describe the time we spent all of us at Hampi and elsewhere in our journey. We have had not only the magic moments and the magnificence of heritage site but also enjoyed accommodative minds of everyone.