Though most of the 'UNESCO world heritage' structures in Hampi today are from the 14th to 16th century, built by the kings of the Vijayanagar empire, the history of the region goes back a long way.
The neighbouring town of Anegundi, just across the Tungabhadra river is about 4 Billion years old and bears traces of human settlement all through the pre-historic times. This region is also the 'Kishkindha', the monkey kingdom of Sugriva and Vali of the Ramayana mythology.
The region from as long back as 1st century AD was under the rule of various kingdoms, overseen by chieftains but never a nerve centre that it was to become. From early 14th century, the Hindu kingdoms in the Deccan region were continuously besieged by Muslim invaders from the north and that became the catalyst which saw Harihara and Bukka, sons of a chieftain founding the Vijayanagara empire in 1336. For the next 3 centuries the empire was either being expanded or was thwarting the attempts of the Muslim Deccan Sultanates from taking over Vijayanagara, until in 1565, the Vijayanagara empire was routed by combined strength of the Sultanates and the bustling capital of 'Vijayanagara' was plundered and reduced to nothing more than 'an open-air museum' for people centuries later to look at and wonder what it must have been like in its days of glory.
What surprises me is, despite the hustle-bustle of resistance and expansion, the kings of Vijayanagara made time to set up a well administered and organised city which in many ways was ahead of its time. For anyone planning to visit Hampi, it's imperative to know a bit of history to be able to really appreciate the place.
Here's my take on the life and times in Vijayanagara as seen from the monuments that were built for posterity, They might be 'ruins' today but still have a lot to tell, if only one would listen.
- Gold and precious gems being traded in the city like agricultural produce has today attained legendary status. Cities with prominent places of worship usually became the centre of trade, but in Hampi, the trade centres were around places of worship and the ingenuity about it was there were markets in front of all major temples, each specialising in different commodities and functioning on different days of the week.There are long rows of pillars leading to the entrance of many temples. The KM long market in front of Virupaksha temple called the Hampi Bazar has double storied buildings still standing.
- The traders were not just from within the city/empire but came from far and wide - Venice, China, Mecca, Persia, Palestine, Bengal - through its 300 ports on either side of the empire - there are lots of sculptures of these traders from distant places in many temples. Easily recognisable amongst them are the Persians with their horses.
- They had well thought-out irrigation system to channel the waters of Tungabhadra to support the agrarian economy - the aquaducts -'stone pipes' in the Royal enclosure supplying water to the royal bath and other tanks used for various purposes have survived to this day and the water from the river channeled inland still continues to flow. A canal passes directly through the 'Badavi Linga,' a 12 feet Linga which was commissioned by a 'Badavi', a poor lady who wanted to build a temple just like the rich people were doing all around. The kings brought in more areas of land under cultivation using the canals and tanks built. This tenant farming and the taxes on agricultural produce(differential tax rates were used to control supply) and imports filled the treasury but the kings were interestingly not disinclined towards reforming the system. Krishnadevaraya abolished a tax on marriages.
- The thriving agrarian economy and the bustling commerce supported a 2 Million men strong army and circa 1500 the city of Vijaynagara had about half a Million inhabitants which was 0.1% of the global population then making it the second largest city in the world after Beijing and three times the size of Paris. These statistics give an idea of how big the empire was, to have 2 Million men in the army and have just a quarter of that number in the city.
- Though the caste system was practiced, it was not an impediment for doing want one wanted. Atukuri Molla, a potter's daughter, became a poet; Purandaradasa, a merchant's son and Kanakadasa, a kshatriya, both became poets and philosophers. The king Krishnadevaraya was himself a scholar and composer ('Āmuktamālyada', 'Jambavatikalyanam' and a few more).
- The women of the empire were involved in administration and trade, they were soldiers, artists and poets and a lot of this had to do with the social reforms brought in by Basaveshwara in the 12th century by his 'Lingayatism' movement. There were many women poets in the empire and their works continue to be read to this day ('Varadambika Parinayam' by Thirumala Devi; 'Madhuravijayam' by Gangadevi who was the daughter in law of the founder Bukka, she composed this poetry on her husband's war victories; 'SubhadraKalyanam' by Tallapaka Thimmakka, who was Annammacharya's wife; and of course Atukuri Molla) There are many sculptures depicting women involved in what in other places and even much later were considered as a man's bastion - like 'taming an elephant' or wrestling.
- The rulers of Vijayanagara were broad minded and respected all religions. The early kings were worshippers of Shiva but made donations to Visnhu temples, adopted Varaha for their emblem. The latter Vishnu worshippers continued to revere Virupaksha. The Jain temples on Hemakuta hill were built before the empire came into being but were retained as such though it was in close proximity to the Virupaksha temple which also predated the empire. There was an 'Islamic quarter' in the city and in the royal enclosure, buildings were built using the Indo-Islamic style of architecture. It's interesting that the kings who were fighting the onslaught by a people of a religion were objective enough to see the beauty of the style of architecture associated with that religion.
- The kings were patrons of literature. Apart from the poets and writers listed above who irrespective of their gender and station in life went on to compose great works of literature which are read to this day, the kings also lent their support to the Bhakthi movement. Purandaradasa and Kanakadasa are the most popular followers of this philosophy. Purandaradasa, the father of Carnatic music, travelled widely in Vijayanagara and spent his last years in Hampi, staying at what is now known as 'Purandara Mantapa' near the Vittala temple. His compositions are signed off with, 'Purandara Vittala' (Puranadara's Vittala) dedicated to Vittala of this temple in Hampi.
- They weren't shy of adopting the proven and tested methods of administrative and political systems of other predecessor kingdoms just as they didn't mind using the architectural styles of the predecessors which by and by lead to a combination of various styles which lent a uniqueness to their work which was copied in the building of many other temple/temple structures in South India (Lepakshi, Srikalahasti and Srirangam to list a few)
- The lasting legacy of the Vijayanagar kingdom, other than the product of literary patronage was the building of numerous temples which though concentrated in Hampi are also found scattered across South India. Built using the locally available granite, the temples have largely withstood the ravages of people and time. The reason why many temples are in a state of ruin today are because the spires of the temples which were built of bricks were destroyed in the pillaging. Barring that and the fact that there are no idols in the sanctum sanctorum - some destroyed (to get at the treasures buried underneath the idols during their consecration), some looted, some simply lost perhaps - we still get a sense of the temples in their entirety. The work done on hard granite is today just as beautiful and mesmerising as when it was sculpted. They told a story then, they tell a more complex story now.
The question that stares me in the face is why such intelligent kings kept themselves continuously occupied in the attempts at enlarging their empire, didn't it make them just as guilty as the Mughals and Sultanates whose attempts they were thwarting? Couldn't they have used that time to strengthen their defenses, trade, friendships instead?
Anyway, so, what's in Hampi today? A few scattered ruins or perhaps a city that sings to the visitor, an ode of courage, passion and faith of people who lived not so long ago. A melodious coronach sung by the stones that the time has stood still to listen to or it's probably just time who is chuckling at how transient everything is.
Having the above as a background, it's easier to go into the specifics through photos.
Vittala temple
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| The mostly early 15th century Vittala temple complex, Hampi as seen from the eastern entrance. Dwaja stamba platform, Stone Chariot and Sabha Mantapa at the centre, Narasimha Mantapa and Kalyana Mantapa on either sides. |
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| Map of the Vittala temple complex, Hampi |
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| Sculptures in the Vittala temple, Hampi - Clockwise from top left - Vishnu and Lakshmi in Vaikunta (the original vegetable dye used for colouring can still be seen), a cute curly-haired Krishna, a rider astride on a Yali(a mythological creature (here with a lion's head) standing on a Makara(another mythological creature), sculpting on the ceiling, probably the first breakdancer, animals atop Kumbakarna to wake him from his slumber. |
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| Statue of Vittala on the gopura (tower) over the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum, Vittala temple, Hampi |
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| The Sabha Mantapa, the congregation hall with pillars that sing, Vittala temple, Hampi. Visitors drumming music on the pillars since before independence has left a few pillars broken and hence this mantapa is out of bounds to tourists now. |
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| Kalyana Mantapa, the wedding hall, Vittala temple, Hampi |
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| Utsava Mantapa, Vittala temple, Hampi. There are a few pillars here which produce music on tapping and they have turned black in colour with the guides and visitors testing them out, it's only time before it sees some damage and is closed to visitors. |
There is lots more to explore in the Vittala temple complex - the popular ones like the stone chariot(it houses Garuda,Vishnu's ride and directly faces the sanctum, also look for vegetable dyed sculptures in the rain protected hollows in the chariot, notice the wheels which have been cemented but were meant to rotate on its axis to take the God on a symbolic procession), the king's balance and Purandara Mantapa in the periphery; then the not so popular ones like the covered hall on the South-eastern corner which probably was a Kitchen and the narrow covered platform in front of the hall, which probably served as the dining area. Other less explored part of the temple is the pradakshina (circumambulation) path around the sanctum which very interestingly is at a height lower than the sanctum and is entirely covered, and thus is pitch dark. There are a few gaps in the ceiling for ventilation but hardly any light seeps in. Our guide couldn't explain this mystery of the lower level, and that makes it even more exciting for me to look for answers long after the trip itself.
Hazara Rama temple
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| Hazara Rama temple, Hampi. A 15th century temple built entirely in Dravidian style of architecture with numerous sculptures all around the temple depicting scenes from Ramayana, giving it the name of 'Thousand Rama'. |
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| Scenes from the Ramayana (probably) on the walls of the Hazara Rama temple, Hampi |
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| A beautiful Eight-armed Krishna in the Hazara Rama temple, Hampi |
Royal Enclosure
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| The Vijayanagaran Swimming pool - 'The Queen's bath', Hampi - built with bricks in the Indo-Islamic style was probably used by all the royals. |
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| The steps of the 'Mahanavmi Dibba' in the Royal enclosure, Hampi, a 12 metre tall platform on which the king sat and watched, as the name suggests, the Dasara festivities but was also used for watching every other event throughout the year. In the photo can also see the tanks for storing water and the lovely stone pipes (can trace it from the left to the tank in the centre of the photo) |
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| Sculptures around the Mahanavmi Dibba, Hampi. The sculptures of animals, soldiers fill up the platform, these sculptures probably helped the builders stack up the stones in the right order. Elephants at the bottom, horses above them, people above them and so on. Another interesting aspect of this platform is the stairs at the back, which was used by the kings has fewer number of steps. |
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| The lovely square stepped 'Pushkarni', Hampi. Another 'posterboy' monument of Hampi. |
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| Carvings on the wall of Mahanavmi dibba, Hampi - scenes of soldiers marching and hunting. |
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| The Elephant stables (the entire row on the right) and the guards' quarters on the left in the Royal Enclosure, Hampi |
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| A stone door securing the Royal Enclosure within the high walls. Elephants were supposedly used to open and shut these doors. |
More than anything else, the royal enclosure was an eye opener for me as to how animals were treated. The way Vijayanagar kingdom treated its animals was no different perhaps than how any other kingdom dealt with animals but still finding proof of it craved in stone showed just how much men have taken animals for granted not just then but even now, the visitors hardly battled an eyelid as they saw these sculptures of animals being hunted or elephants being tamed. By the same measure I don't think most question the presence of an unlikely animal like camel on the Mahanavmi dibba walls.
Animals exist to serve the wishes of men is a concept that's as old as the history of our species itself. Capturing animals and taming them was a sign of valour and strength, the presence of animals in the army marked power, the number of animals in the stable was like money in the treasury. The guide who showed us the elephant stables said the individual stables were so huge that the elephants could turn around in their stables. How thoughtful of the kings, must have been a huge comfort for the elephants after everything that they had gone through.
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| Watch tower in the 'Royal Women's enclosure' Hampi, with the general topography of the area in the background. This hilly, rocky terrain and the Tungabhadra river were the first line of defense against the invading forces. |
Virupaksha temple
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| The 9th century Virupaksha temple, Hampi. This pre-vijayanagara temple is one of the few temples which has survived the pillaging and has always been an active temple. Seen in the photo are the 165 feet tall outer tower, the inner tower and the pillared Mantapa to the left. Most of the construction around the temple was done in the rule of the Vijayanagara kings. The outer tower is special that the shadow of the upper portion of the tower that falls within the temple is inverted. The Hampi bazar stretches for a KM in front of the temple and a huge monolith statue of a bull facing the temple marks the end of the market. |
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| The Kalyana Mantapa(wedding hall) with the Yeli-Makara pillars and the painting of 'Girija Kalyana' on the ceiling, Virupaksha temple, Hampi. Weddings still take place in this hall. |
Badavi Linga
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The 12 feet tall Badavi Linga with the waters of Tungabhadra flowing here through a canal. Note the 3 eyes carved on the Linga. Another active temple. The kings who built the grand temples all around must be truly humbled, wherever they are. This Linga with barely a wall and a ceiling covering it has been worshipped through the centuries, whereas their majestic temples are in ruins.
A 22 feet tall 'Lakshmi Narasimha' is close by. The idol has suffered quite a bit of damage and has been lovingly pieced together by ASI (this is actually against their principle-they preserve monuments in the same state as when they takeover). Laskhmi on Narasimha's lap is missing except for her hand around his waist, and now he's aptly called 'Ugra(Angry) Narasimha' |
The underground Prasanna Virupaksha temple
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| The 14th century Prasanna Virupaksha temple also called the Pathaleshwara temple, Hampi. The ceiling is at the ground level and of course the brick tower is completely missing. Due to its level, water inundates the temple and is probably the reason neither the walls nor the pillars are sculpted upon. |
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| The Sanctum and the 'Antarala' of the Prasanna Virupaksha, underground temple, Hampi, which happened to be dry at the time of our visit in October 2016. |
Krishna temple
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| The 1008 Lingas carved on a rock on the bank of Tungabhadra river, Hampi. There is another carving of 108 Lingas next to this and 2 Nandis carved on boulders on the opposite bank. |
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| There are numerous carvings on the eastern side of the Tungabhadra river, Hampi. |
A coracle can be hired from the river bank near the Kodandarama and Yantrodaraka Anjaneya temples. A huge Ananthapadmanabha carved on a big boulder, an exquisite Laksmi Narasimha, many pavilions(is this where the sculptors rested? and who else stayed here?)108 and 1008 lingas on a flat rock with their respective Nandis on the opposite bank, small shrines with many gods and goddesses, which get submerged in water when the water is released from the dam upstream - there are many things to see, and the boatman can be of great help here. I was particularly intrigued by the sunlight falling on the Sun God sculpted in a closed shrine(See photo in the collage - middle in the bottom row). It definitely couldn't have been a co-incidence that the light fell on the carving exactly at the time we happened to go there. My hunch is the sunlight falls on the carving as long as the sun is out via precisely planned crevices in/around the ceiling. The coracle ride and exploring this part of tourist-free Hampi, as the Sun went down, with Anjanadri (the hill where Anjaneya was born) always in view made for very satisfying and peaceful couple of hours.
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| The Tungabhadra river, Hampi. The traditional coracles in the foreground. |
Malyavantha Hill
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| View from Malyavantha hill |
There are many places in Hampi where one can begin the day and/or end the day watching the Sun's progress. Matunga hill, the most popular destination for sunset/sunrise viewers is the highest point in Hampi and thus commands a good view of Hampi but reaching the top requires a bit of a climb. Malyavantha hill which is home to the Raghunatha temple is the less crowded place to start/end the day and is very easily accessible as the vehicles go right up to the temple at the top. Anjanadri also affords good views of sunset/sunrise and so does Hemakuta hill.
There are numerous other temples in and around Hampi - the 18 feet tall monolith 'Kadalekalu'('Bengal gram') Ganapathi(indicating the rotund belly), the 'Sasivekalu'('Mustard') Ganapathi(a mustard trader commissioned the idol), the Jain temples in Hemakuta, the Pattabhirama temple, the Achutaraya temple...the Museum and the ATMs are in Kamalapura, close to Hampi.
General tips for a comfortable trip in Hampi
- The weather in Hampi is dry and hot through the year but mid-day summer temperature (March to June) can be as hot as 40 degree Celsius. Keep the weather in mind while planning your holiday.
- Start the day with Vittala temple. It's a distance of a KM between the parking area and the Vittala temple, and battery operated cars are used to ply the visitors. If you don't reach the Vittala temple parking early enough (say 8-8:30AM) the queue of people waiting to board the car gets longer.
- The Rs 25 per person entrance ticket bought at either Vittala temple, royal enclosure or museum can be used in a day at all these 3 places so preserve the ticket.
- Take the services of a guide for the whole of Hampi. Seeing the monuments without a guide is like watching a movie with the audio on mute. We negotiated a price of Rs 1500 for the services of a guide for one whole day. He stayed with us through the day from Vittala temple to coracle ride to helping us choose the sunset point to watching the sunset with us.
- If covering all the places in a span of a day, pace yourself and keep yourself hydrated.
Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary - An absolute must-visit
If you are a nature lover, reserve half a day un-grudgingly to visit the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, just 15 KMs from Hampi.
83 square KMs of dry deciduous scrub forest has been designated for the protection of Sloth Bears and today they number around 120, and giving them company are a host of animals and birds - Leopards, Spotted Deers, Monitor Lizards, Mongoose, Pangolins, Wild Boars, Star Tortoises, Peafowls, Francolins, Spurfowls and many more.
If Kishkindha was the home of the monkeys during the Ramyana times, probably this was where Jambavantha, the king of Bears lived. Jambavantha figures in mythologies spanning all the three epochs(yugas) and now in the fourth, the Bears continue to live peacefully on this land.
The Sloth Bears are nocturnal, vegetarian and non-hibernating - the forest department has done an amazing job to create a forest where the Bears are able to find food on their own. This has reduced the illegal capture of Bears and subsequent use for road side entertainment, has given the Bears a contiguous habitat to call home in a region which otherwise would have been fragmented and destroyed by both legal and illegal mines.
The Bears sleep in the caves in Karadi Gudda ('Bear hillock') in the sanctuary and venture out as the day starts to wean. There is no safari here but a watchtower is constructed at a vantage point deep in the forest opposite to Karadi Gudda for the visitors to get a glimpse of the forest and its star residents. To attract tourists, the forest department personnel smear cane jaggery cooked in vegetable oil in about 4-5 places at around 1 PM and the bears come to lick the jaggery before they start their day or probably some just go back to sleep after the little treat.
To be really able to enjoy the view/sightings one must have a pair of binoculars or at least a good camera and must be willing to wait it out till almost the closing time which is when many animals start to move around as the day begins to cool, this would be the case especially in the hot summer months. When the sun is still 'bearing' down and the bears are reluctant to put in an appearance, the birds more than entertain the visitors.
The sanctuary is open to public from 2 PM to 6 PM everyday. The entrance fees for adults is Rs 25 per person and for a 4 wheeler is Rs 500. The car is allowed to be driven till the watchtower parking which is 4 KMs from the entrance. From there it's a 10 minute climb(on stairs) to the watchtower. If you are planning to stay for long, carry water and a little food to nibble on while you wait, as the only food that's available there is jaggery but that is only for the residents.
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| The spread of Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary near Hampi as seen from the watchtower. The watering hole is marked in yellow and you can zoom into the area within blue brackets(which is not easily distinguishable) to see a Sloth Bear. |
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| A Sloth Bear and a Wild Boar comfortably sharing space near the watering hole (marked within yellow brackets in the above photo), Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, Near Hampi |
Having gone to Hampi, another must-visit is Badami and the surrounding towns of Aihole, Pattadakal and Kudalasangama.
