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5 must-see monuments in Hampi

With every year, and with the incoming tide of tourism, Hampi is changing. Here’s what you should see of this heritage town before it is swept by change

Stone chariot at the Vittala temple in Hampi

The remnants of the bridge that once connected the twin towns of Anegundi and Hampi lies crumbled, fallen by the banks of the river. Standing at the edge, I look at the Tungabhadra River flowing mindlessly around the rocks and boulders that lie strewn around. Across the river I see patches of greenery around the hillocks, the land that was once the mythical Kishkinta of the Ramayana – “the mother kingdom” as my guide calls it.

An old woman washes laundry in the Tungabhadra River by the village of Hampi
An old woman washes laundry in the Tungabhadra River by the village of Hampi

Our story begins in the 14th century. Anegundi, which was under a Hoysala chieftain, was attacked by the Delhi Sultans. Two brothers, Harihara and Bukka, who were serving the king in Anegundi escaped and, while wandering in the wilderness, met a seer Vidyaranya from the Sringeri Shankaracharya Mutt who guided them to build a small city on the other bank of the river and call it Vijayanagar or the City of Victory. The brothers raised a small army and revolted against the Sultan, who returned the kingdom to them. And the seeds of a dynasty, which went on to rule India for 350 years, was born right here with the Tungabhadra as its witness. Anegundi eventually became a part of the kingdom, while the capital was established in Vijayanagara or Vidyanagara.

I walk back from the bridge towards Hampi. Craggy cliffs and boulders look down at me as temples, markets, palaces, stepwells, stables are carved everywhere. Step on a rock and you may find a sculpture. Look up and you will see one of the towers. The ancient gates of the city surround you. Old crumbling remains of markets where shops once stood are now the refuge od the homeless. The city has been circled with seven walls of fortification and you can see the broken remnants everywhere. Canals and aqueducts can be seen with water flowing, a great haven for birding enthusiasts. A Red-wattled Lapwing rushes behind a rock screeching, “Did you do it?” I climb Matanga hill to see the Yellow-throated Bulbul perched on a thorny bush.

I do not know how and when Vijayanagar became Hampi or Hampe. Perhaps it was a reference to the Pampa Sarovar, the traditional name for the Tungabhadra and a derivation from Hampe, a reference to Pampa. But a tinge of melancholy hits me every time I visit the town and lose myself in its ruins. There are settlements in Anegundi, but Hampi is a ghost town but for the scourge of tourists who wander around the monuments.

Massive Ganeshas look upon me. There are sprawling temple complexes dedicated to every deity in the Hindu pantheon. A UNESCO World Heritage Site today, with its own festival, there are about 100 monuments strewn here. It is not possible to cover all the monuments in a day, so here are my favourite Top 5 that must not be missed:

1. The Royal Enclosure

Spread over 59,000 square metres, the enclosure includes fortified walls, many gates and towers, palaces, stables, underground temples and chambers, and a beautifully carved stepwell. I feel overwhelmed every time I am here. For this is all that remains of the erstwhile dynasty. Ravaged by wars and the passage of time, the royal enclosure takes you back to the days when the Vijayanagar Empire reigned in all its glory.

A couple of kids are standing atop a massive monument dwarfed only by the expanse of the sky. This imposing structure called the Mahanami Dibba built by King Krishnadevaraya stands out in this melee of monuments. This is apparently where the king used to sit and watch the Dussehra festival and other events in the city. One of my favourite moments is to climb up the Mahanami Dibba and to watch the entire landscape of the town, lost amidst ruins. I walk around aimlessly looking at the step wells, the stables, the Lotus Mahal, and the Queens Bath among others.

2.The Virupaksha Temple

Hampi is synonymous with the Virupaksha temple, the oldest of the many shrines here and even predates the founding of the Vijayanagar Empire. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the 7th century temple is worshipped even today. You cannot miss the Ranga Mandapa, which refers to the central pillared hall built by King Krishnadeva inside the temple. I step out and walk through the ruins of the ancient market or Hampi Bazaar and climb up the adjacent Matanga Hill to watch the tourists walking around the town, lost in their own world.

3. Vittala Temple

Hampi is filled with temples. Almost every part of the town has a shrine. The Vittala Temple is not just a monument – it’s a spectacle. The stone chariot, the pillars, the halls, the carvings –sheer poetry in stone. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple was built in the 15th century. The ruins of the market, small tanks around the temple and several smaller shrines complete the complex. The pillars am told used to create music, however today it is not encouraged to keep knocking on them to hear them out.

There are several temples in the city dedicated to Rama, Krishna, Lakshmi... My personal favourite is the Hazaar Rama temple replete with carvings of the Ramayana. Another detour takes me to the underground Shiva temple filled with water.

4. Narasimha Monolith

A huge, imposing monolith of Lakshmi Narasimha (the form of Lord Vishnu with the head of a lion), stands silently in a corner with another massive linga (a form of Lord Shiva). The Narasimha monolith is all-encompassing. At a height of 6.7 metres, the 16th century sculpture stands devoid of its canopy and the entire roof, but this deity, a fine specimen of the Vijayanagar Empire, was created with the goddess Lakshmi on his lap and the giant seven hoods of serpent Adisesha, the guardian of Lord Vishnu, around his head. However, ravaged by the war, only a hand of the goddess remains.

There are several monolithic carvings of Nandi and Ganesha, besides another large one of a Linga amidst the sculptures.

5. Bheema’s Enclosure

Hampi has several gates but one of my personal favourites is named after a mythical hero, Bheema, from the Mahabharata. The gateway here has several carvings of Bheema and his wife Draupadi and scenes from the epic Mahabharata. The fortified walls give you a sense of mystique as you enter the town through them.

A lifetime is not enough to discover Hampi. To me, it is beyond a destination. It is a town that has grown on me ever since I visited it 20 years ago as a college student on a study tour. Fortunately, it had not yet become a part of a tourist itinerary then. The eerie silence of the ruins echoed in my ears then. But on every subsequent trip, I saw something new. It always seems that the pillars and columns are hiding something as I sit in a corner amidst the giant boulders. Hampi to me is a humbling experience, a testimony of great art and architecture, valour and prosperity that can one day be reduced to ruins.