Hampi a UNESCO World Heritage Site which had witnessed an era of glories and triumphs and tragedies in a Great Vijaynagar Empire and a place set up among the massive boulders and each temple carved and tells you about the great epics.
It is considered as a time machine where you are taken back to the era and you get to experience and get awestruck after seeing those immensely beautiful architecture set amidst the boulders and green paddy field makes it a perfect destination for any travelers.
Hampi traces back its history in the great epics of Ramayana, the Kingdom Kishkindha ( The monkey capital) which are said to have existed at this place also the birthplace of Hanuman.
Reaching here:-
By Air: You can board a flight from
Bangalore then from there you can book a private vehicle and reach Hampi in 6hrs 40 minutes
Another option is to catch a local bus from Bangalore to reach Hampi
Many buses like Sugama Tourist Bus, Meenakshi bus, and many more are available in a sleeper, AC class too.
Attaching the link below to find a suitable bus for your journey
https://in.via.com/bus-tickets/from-bangalore-to-hampi
By train
By train you can travel through SBC Garib Nawaz train which takes you to Hospet from the station you can catch an auto and then reach Hampi.
Accommodation
Hampi is famous among the backpackers so you can easily find many budget accommodation below is listed in some popular places to stay.
Padma Guesthouse -1,000 per night
Guesthouse Jungle tree -700 approx per night
Restaurants
Tamarind Tree restaurant
Funky Monkey
Laughing Buddha
Things Do in Hampi
Visit the Oldest and Popular Virupaksha Temple.
The Virupaksha Temple located a the western end of Hampi bazaar on the banks of river Tungabhadra and one can see many temples around the Virupaksha temple
Lord Shiva was in the form of Virupaksha so that the temple became famous as Virupaksha temple.
We can also see here the Pampadevi temple, the local goddess which is associated with the Tungabhadra River.
The gopuram basement is laid with granite stones and the framework done with bricks and truly this temple is an architectural marvel.
This Temple witness the Pinhole camera technique which was used in olden times.
To understand this technique you are taken into a dark room and on the opposite side, there is a small hole from where the rays fall on the other side of the wall and an image is formed.
Usually, this temple is crowded so I would like to suggest you visit this temple in the morning around 7 to 7:30 am.
The entrance of Virupaksha Temple.
Visit the Kadaleku Ganesh Temple
A giant monolithic structure of Lord Ganesha which has a height of 17metres approx, on the backside you can see Goddess Parvati as taken lord Ganesh on a lap which is visible from the backside.
Visit the Lotus Mahal next to Ugrva Narsimbha Temple,
The Palace was designed for the Queens of Vijayanagar as a summer palace, The palace is made of lime mortar and bricks composition there are 4 watchtowers around the palace,
The architecture is Indo-Saracenic Architecture with a mixture of Hindu and Islamic Styles.
During the olden times, no man was allowed to visit this palace so the transgenders were the gatekeepers of this palace.
The Royal Enclosure
The Royal Enclosure the home for the Kings and Queens of the Vijayanagar Empire
It houses 45 buildings, which includes darbar, small tanks, wells, and the secret chamber.
The secret Chamber is designed in such a way that from outside you can see a simple pond but when you observe it you can see a small passage which leads you downwards which takes you to the chamber usually it is made of black granite stone so even during the daytime it stays cold.
But the most difficult part is coming out from the chamber because it is designed in a maze so anyone can get trapped easily.
The Pushkaranis
The Pushkaranis are sacred water tanks that are attached to the temples, these are the prominent feature of Hampi town
They are designed symmetrically as either rectangles or squares. Each generally has several large tiers that contain multiple steps in semi-pyramidal form, leading down to the next level.
The stepped tanks were used for ritual bathing and cleansing before prayers. They also performed important ritualistic functions for festival
Mahanavami Dibba or The House of Victory
Mahanavami Dibba or The House of Victory is a beautiful stone platform situated inside the Royal Enclosure of Hampi. It is also known as Dasara Dibba and is one of the most impressive structures in Hampi.
The stone platform is about 12 m in height. The huge structure is a square platform with three layers that are richly decorated with beautiful carvings.
The walls have carvings of animals, horses, soldiers, and processions.
The top of the platform provides a splendid view of the surrounding areas.
One of the best ways to experience Hampi is taking a coracle ride across the Tungabhadra river or also you can go by public ferry ride.
Vijayvithala Temple Hampi
The temple is very well known for its architecture and excellent craftsmanship which you can see in this Temple.
Huge gateways small temples are located inside this temple.
The temple is very well known for its Stone Charriot temple and the musical pillars which are an exceptional work of architecture.
The Rang Mandapa has 56 Pillars which creates the rhythms of Sa Re Ga Ma, If you struck your thumb on the pillars you can hear the sound.
But now the ASI has strictly banned touching the pillars.
The chariot is a shrine dedicated to Garuda, built inside the Vittala Temple Complex. The massive sculpture of Garuda, Lord Vishnu’s escort once was seated atop the chariot but it is empty at the present date.
The base on which the chariot rests depicts beautiful mythical battle scenes in intricate details. There were sculptures of horses where presently elephants are seated.
Apart from that inside the temples, you can see the Achutarya temple and many other temples,
On the pillars, some carvings tell you the story of Mahabharat and Ramayana, here you can see the intricate statue of King Krishna Devraya.
The traders from the Mongolian, Persia trade horses which inscriptions you can see on the pillars of the temple.
Hampi is an amalgamation of present and past the people, the culture,thé way of dressing sense, language, everything can change
But Hampi these will remain unchanged
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