OF the stones of the place...H A M P I

  … where the boulders lie
As touching as a basketful of eggs,…

-RF 

Hampi comes into view as the road winds all of a sudden. As you approach it, you can see gigantic boulders precariously balanced on enormous rock faces, hillocks or just spouting out of the greenery - resting on prayers.

 

Must-know HISTORY, important facts, really quickly…

Hampi was the capital of the Vijaynagar Empire, one of the largest Hindu empires in India. Was destroyed in 1565. Spread over 60 sq miles, it was the largest empire in the world after the Roman Empire. There are many parallels with the Roman civilization significantly, the paved pathways, the waterways and the underground drainage systems.  This is also the Kishkindha of the Ramayan, the kingdom of the Vanar King Sugriv, the younger brother of Vali.  Anjaneya Parvat, said to be birthplace of Lord Hanuman is also here.

 

               

So how does one pack an ancient civilization into a tour? And wrap it up to present it in words and pictures? Too ambitious for me to attempt.  Google Hampi and you have it all. Go there and the guides will provide each detail and help you explore the famous monuments. But in that vast stone country, what is it that you will discover?  What will remain with you, in the memories beyond the photos on Facebook? I’m giving the photos of famous landmarks a miss (the page takes forever to load).  Here are my favorite Hampi places, moments …

Kadalekalu Ganesha, shaped from behind like Ganesh sitting on the lap of Parvati. There’s the 14 feet tall Kadalekalu Ganesha and the Sasivekalu Ganesha. Both are named after the shape of their bellies – gram seed and mustard seed, respectively.

    

This giant monolithic statue of Lakshmi  Narasimha, the most famous icon in Hampi. It is believed that the original image contained his consort Lakshmi sitting on his lap. A hand of the goddess on his waist can be seen. 

          

  

The Hazara Rama Temple which has the story of Ramayana carved on its outer walls.

The beautiful Indo-Islamic architecture of the Lotus Mahal.   

The underground 14th century temple dedicated to Lord Shiva as Prasanna Virupaksha, is always filled with water. I liked the way the Nandi is sitting at an angle. Below. 

The Bhojana Sala has a water channel about one meter wide running for more than 20 meters. The food trays are carved out on the stone slabs on both sides. They are also slightly tilted presumably so they could be washed and drained by the running water!!  these 'food trays' now lie scattered here and there.      

The Hampi Bazaar where traders from other parts of the world came for gold, silver, rubies and emeralds, now sell Lays and pajamas, jholas and hippy things. It’s lined with shops offering bits of India to foreigners – Lambadi embroideries, kashmiri papier mache, silver ware, sandalwood curios of Karnataka, bidriware of Andhra …

Yeah, the thought fascinated me but this is all, a frame - The King's Balance where the king was weighed against precious gems and gold! 

    

The Queen's Bath is a little away from the living quarters and hence it is believed that it was more a pleasure resort than a regular swimming pool. 

Seen above the fire-spitting dragon and Mongol figures - the influence of trade with them.

 

The waterways that carried water from the reservoirs to the tanks.

 

Stone doors!! 

 

How the huge boulders were cut into shapes - first perforated like this, then filled with wooden pieces that when they expaned broke the stone along the perforated lines!!   

A double storeyed structure on Hemkuta Hills.  And tired feet below :D        

  MISSED!!          Malyavantha Temple of Vishnu (in the form of Ram) situated on a hill is believed to be where He spent time searching for Sita.           Anjaneya Parvat, said to be birthplace of Lord Hanuman.             Koti Linga literally translated means one crore lingas. It is situated along the banks of river Tungabhadra and considered very scared. We could not see it as it was submerged due to heavy rains.              ALSO Worth a dekko            Tungabhadra Dam across the river Tungabhadra, spread over an area of 400 sq.km, is one of the biggest multi-purpose dams in Karnataka. It has 33 gates. Its beautiful gardens and musical fountain show late evenings draw hordes of tourists.     The hills wave out their happy pinwheels as you enter and leave Hampi...