Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a beautiful city of ruins. It has so many wonderful things to offer. Hampi is situated on the banks of Tungabadhra River and is located in Bellary district of Karnataka state in India
Here at Hampi you can go for day tours to trip around the ruins of temples and architectures of decades ago. And even you can chill around multiple cafes in Hippie Island.
How to reach: Hampi is connected by Road from major cities of India. From Bangalore and Mumbai , one would have multiple buses and trains to Hospet. Hampi is around 13 km from Hospet.
Places to Visit in Hampi:
Many people visit this place for couple of days to weeks. Ideal no of days cannot be described to explore overall Hampi is quite not possible.
Some of the main attractions of Hampi are as below:
1. Virupaksha Temple: This temple is located right on the banks of river and is dedicated to Virupaksha , a form of Shiva. Its the main Pilgrimage center in Hampi. Many localites and people near Hampi, normally take a dip in Tungabadhra river and visit this Temple.
2. Vijaya Vittala Temple , Musical Pillars and Moving Stone Chariot:
Vijaya Vittala Temple in Hampi is place of wonders. It homes beautiful architectures of Stone Chariot and Musical Pillars over Thungabadhra river!! The Sanctum of the temple is devoid of an idol. It is said that Vittala idol of this Sanctum was moved to Pandharpur(Maharashtra) during the attacks of Mughals back in History. So the current idol in Pandharpur is the one which was in Hampi during the Vijayanagara Empire!!
There are 56 Musical pillars made of stone in the Ranga Mandapa area which are also known as SaReGaMaPa pillars. These pillars produce musical tones when struck with an object.I do remember Tour guides playing Music of these Musical Pillars from my childhood. But unfortunately , now its restricted and you can just see and admire.
Its said that , the Stone Chariot was even moving till the time it was restricted in terms of conserving the monuments.
Once you are at exit of the Vittala temple Sanctum you will notice a 150 year old tree spreading its leaves wide around the area. This will for sure leaves u amazed. look at it below.
3. Kamal Mahal and Elephant Stable:
A two storey building which resembles the structure of Lotus and was basically constructed for the Royal women of Vijayanagara Dynasty.
And Elephant Stable was basically used as place of Shade and Rest for the Royal Elephants of the Vijayanagara Dynasty.
4. Lakshmi Narasimha Monument:
This is the tallest one in Hampi and is seated on a Seven headed snake. This is also known as Ugra Narasimha.
Many more and more Monuments you can visit in Hampi.
Most of these monuments entry closes by 5:30 to 6:oo pm.
Places for Sunset and Sunrise in Hampi:
Sunrise is beautiful from Matanga Hill. Though we have heard a quite a lot about Sunrise from this place but unfortunately , yet to experience.
One of the best places to witness sunset is from Anjanadri Betta near Hampi(I will go in detail about this place in next blog) Sunset is great from Sanapura lake as well.
As one gets too tired of exploring places under the blanket of hot sun, you can end the day by visiting Sanapura Lake. Its a must visit place for us. This place is 20 min walk from Virupaksha temple. You can here enjoy a Coracle ride over the river and witnessing sun setting on one side and hills on the other. The Coracle ride costs 100 rs per person for a short 10 min ride and 300 rs per person for a 30 min ride. Person who is responsible to take you over this amazing ride does a good job in clicking pics of the tourists over different angles :P
How to explore Hampi: Many attractions of Hampi can be completed in couple of days. You can hire a Mopet(a two wheeler) on a daily basis. Its quite hard to get as they have only 10 Mopets for whole of Hampi, this is planned and legalized only for 10 bikes on rent so that it should not affect Auto Business.
One can even Hire an auto which will cost starting of 600 rs per day based on number of places to be covered.
When to Visit Hampi: Normally this part of Karnataka is quite hot all the time. Cooler months are from October to February which makes it a best time to visit. One of visit this place even during Winter between July and September.
Where to Eat: Hampi is a home for quite a number of cool cafes. All these cafes serve Indian, They do serve bits from different countries as you can see many tourists in Hampi.
One of the highly rated cafes from ages is Mango Tree Restaurant. Food is quite decent , its neither Too Bad nor Too Great, but what makes this place special is its ambiance and its layout. After hanging out in high temperatures of Hampi , this place is apt for some rest and great food. Its a must visit cafe in Hampi.
As you end your trip at Hampi, you will be leaving with some beautiful landscapes in your mind and wandering about the decade activities which made this place a beautiful city of ruins.
I would come up with a continuation of Hippie Island in Hampi in the upcoming blog.
#TravelwithApSid!!
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