A pocket-friendly trip for an upcoming long weekend? This historic boulder beauty has a lot to offer

Brief History:

The city of victory, once known to be the second largest in the world (after Beijing), brought down during a war later, is so beautifully (read ironically) called the city of ruins today. Located in east central Karnataka, this UNESCO world heritage site was once the capital of Vijayanagar empire in the 14th century. It’s fabulously rich princes built Dravidian temples by adopting elements of Indo Islamic architecture which won the admiration of travelers worldwide. The empire was defeated by a coalition of muslim sultanates after which the capital was conquered, pillaged and destroyed over a period of 6 months leaving Hampi in ruins forever. Today, the rugged landscape, stretched over kilometers of precarious giant boulders, jade-green palm groves and marshy terrains of paddy fields, beautifully bears all its scars as honor badges!

Must Visits:

This unearthly landscape can be split into two parts with the Tungabhadra river acting as the partition: The heritage side and the Hippie island.

Heritage side Hampi-

Located in the center of the city and one of the oldest monument there is the renowned Virupaksha temple worshipping a form of Lord Shiva. To the south of the temple is the Hemakuta Hill, a house to various early ruins and Jain temples, offers an excellent view of the Hampi bazar. The most impressive structure in Hampi , the Vitthala Temple, which has the famous and iconic Stone chariot dating back in the 16th century, is a definite MUST VISIT. The Queen’s bath, Elephants stables, Big Shivalinga, Zenana enclosure/Women’s quarter, Lakshmi Narasimha temple and the marvellous Pushkarnis/ancient water step tanks depict the beautiful architecture of Hampi. Each of these places have its own history etched in each granite boulder that stands as a witness of the atrocities it suffered.

Hippie Island-

On the other side of the river lies the serene and peaceful Hippie island vibing at a frequency clearly suggested by its name. This small island, Virapapur Gadde as the locals call it, can be reached in 5 mins after crossing the river by a coracle(₹ 200 per Indian couple-negotiate!) or a boat(₹ 20 per Indian resident). The last boat leaves for the island at around 5:30pm. During monsoons the river gets flooded so it is advised to take the road to reach the island which takes around 40 mins.

Every backpacker’s delight, the hippie island is an epitome of scenic beauty, laidback ambience, lodges and tourist huts. Rural at heart, the skerry has a lot to offer. From finger licking Indian platters to delish western cuisines with chilled beer, those bohemian cafes which are usually a “joint” venture of the locals and foreigners also have small tourist huts at quite reasonable prices where hikers usually find shelter (₹ 1k/night during the off season - negotiable). You can rent a motorcycle (₹ 250; ₹100 additional for petrol) and ride along the city exploring the lust green paddy fields and the rocky hills as a constant backdrop. Places that are must visit here would be the Pampa Sarovar and the Anjaneya hill(monkey temple – believed to be the birth place of Lord Hanuman) which is a personal favorite too. Do not, I repeat DO NOT miss the sunset from this summit as it is once in a lifetime experience. The silence of the sunset makes the heartbeat audible as the chilly breeze touch your hair while you watch the orange fire ball filling you with tranquility as it sets making the experience just surreal.

Also, there is a secret waterfall on this side of the city which if you follow Google maps will lead you down into some water body. The only way to reach there is by riding a bike and asking the locals a way towards this peculiar spot if you meet the right people on the way, or may be just meet people on the way!

How to Reach?

By Road - From Mumbai so road transport works the best. You can take an AC sleeper coach bus(₹ 1.2/1.5k) from chembur around 7pm which drops you in Hospet the next day by 6:30am. From Hospet it is a 20 min ride in auto which will charge ₹ 150. You can take the state transport bus which can take upto 30/40 mins charging only ₹ 20.

By Air - Bangalore is the nearest metro airport approx. 300kms. far. Then you can then take an overnight bus from Bangalore to Hospet and then an auto/local bus to reach Hampi.

By Rail - Hampi does not have a railway station. The nearest rail head would be Hospet with around 10 trains daily commuting from different parts of the country.

Best Time to Visit :

Oct to Feb. Post Monsoon is the best time to enjoy the scenic beauty. They also celebrate the Hampi festival (Vijaya Utsav) during February end/beginning of March which is a cultural extravaganza celebrated since the times of the Vijayanagar reign. The 3 day long festival includes traditional Kannadigas dance, drama, fireworks, puppet shows, musical shows, etc. to celebrate their skills, culture and tradition.

Budget :

For a three day trip, it'll cost you around ₹ 5/6k per person inclusive of stay, food only and an AC sleeper bus travel from Mumbai. At max, you can stay up to 4 days if your intention for travel is to be a flower child and explore the historic culture and feel the countryside vibe away from the daily rush.

Personal takeaway from Hampi :

This city taught me to shine bright even when you are broken and shattered into pieces. Each ruined artefact of the majestic palaces and temples seemed to scream out loud to me saying that recovery is not a race. We can be broken and yet be loved and adored by the world. So embrace your scars with confidence as they are a witness to your war and your badges of glory.

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