Grabbing that equilibrium point of happiness now, cause in the long run we are all dead...
Copied this caption of mine again because I can't really think of an appropriate phrase that would do justice to the place and the serene vibes...
Once I have been asked about what is my happy place or where I would love to spend most of my time, I never had any answer for this even though I have been traveling since I was a toddler. I always thought there will be this void of not having to found that happy place, which would eat me up always.
I had roughly planned my Hampi trip in 2019 but somehow ended up dropping it for two times. The majority of people I knew were visiting Hampi and uploading pictures and I used to get annoyed by that. So just decided to let the world be unfair I'm going to pack my bags and leave for Hampi. Okay, I decided, packed my bags, booked my first stay as well but I didn't get the confirmed tickets in my hand it was still on the waiting list...
The next day I woke up and found myself in Badami, Karnataka. Yeah, I got the confirmed ticket. So was the alert sign.
Took a random stroll in the markets of Badami, been to touristy places, and got lost in the richness of Badami on the very first day itself... The next day I traveled to HAMPI. The place I longed to visit.
That small village of Hampi, the people of Hampi, the tourists of Hampi all just made me sail on cloud ninth.
I was happy, set free, and most importantly I was myself. I was happy there like never before... Set free as if I was a playful toddler who is energized all the time. All the travelers who have visited Hampi have always said, 'Hampi has some vital power of spirituality which tranquil's the soul, one tends to be get lost in the vibes Hampi has to offer... In all the ruins the city stands out and speaks its voice out loud. Every sculpture there tells you the story of immense wars and stories of courageous kings.
Vitthala Temple was one of the major and most wanted visits to that trip. That stone chariot and the carvings over all the monuments and the scientific techniques behind that just blew my mind.
In all that chaos I spotted a completely contrast situation, Every human there wants to work, let it be anything, I haven't spotted a single beggar on the streets which is distinctive... Every human there is as welcoming as we welcome our loved ones, it feels like they've known us for years now! Which is also the case with all the places, Eyes get lost seeing immortal scenic stones, their patterns, and colors!
Sitting on the banks of Tungabhadra feels like sitting in Maa's lap, the water is as clear as crystal and cool which comforts the soul. The soil there gives warmth.
With historical and cultural richness Hampi has another hippie side which adds up to the whole adventure. Its local market, all those small shops, handicrafts, the food, and the cafes. The city has some amazing hippie cafes which would easily beat any of the cafes we visit in metros.
After all the stroll, when I laid down on the stones near Kadalekalu Ganesh temple at the peak sunset everything just seemed perfect and worth traveling and longing for. That moment of eternal peace and serenity soothes the soul and revives the mind. Your mind suddenly goes unconscious watching uncountable stars and you close your eyes and listen to the flute instrumented by air with the smooth rhythm of River Tungabhadra.
And in that instance, I realize this is the place which makes me happy, set me free, partly knows me, and leaves me with some magic. This is the place I will always know as my happy place. This is the place I will keep as my bunch of happiness. With this, I discovered my place of happiness. Simple, surreal, and elegant...
There would have never been the slightest thought of leaving the place & going back to the grind but as the sun sets to rise again, as sea lowers the tide to hit the shore with the goodness of high tide, the same way I had to bid off to this magical place to visit again in future...
And then as the sun showered me with all the good said goodbye to that magical place which left a forever mark on my heart...
Cheers!
