Hampi (Kishkindha) Diaries

Next, there was KADALEKALU GANESHA temple. Temple had a big Monolithic sculpture of Lord Ganesha. After witnessing the beauty of this, next i came across SASIKAVEKALU GANESHA, which was again a beautiful sculpture of Lord Ganesha. The meaning of sasikavekalu is mustered.

As i moved ahead, i saw the KRISHNA TEMPLE on the way. It was the temple under restoration and there was a big old Krishna market in front of the temple. This market was used for trade in the vijaynagar dynasty.

As i left the hotel i saw Tower(Gopuram) of Virupaksha temple. After entering the temple, i came to know that it is a Lord Siva temple and it is the only temple in Hampi where Pooja is conducted. I saw the very famous Lakshmi, the female elephant, roaming inside. Except the main hall, there were other smaller GOD idols also. There was a small hall inside, where a reversed projection of Gopuram can be seen on the opposite wall as the Sun light peeps through a small hole in the front wall. This showcased the mastery in Optical knowledge of that era's people.

Hampi can be explored well with the help of a map. Just outside the temple there are Hemkuta group of temples. Hemkuta hill is said to be the place where lord Shiva opened his third eye and burnt Kama. Hemakuta Hill is having a lot of smaller and big temples, Mandapas & Shrines like Jain Temple, Prassan Aanjney temple, Single double and triple floor shrines. The rock cut triple Shivalings sculpture is beautiful. The view of TUNBHADRA RIVER is mesmerizing from the top.

Just Besides the Hazara Rama Temple there is a big complex consisting of three main monuments Lotus Mehel, Elephants Stable And Staff Quarters. Lotus Mehel was used by queen for relaxation and entertainment purposes. The elephant stable was very big, unique and one of its kind.

There are number of stone carvings inside staff quarters. Many Devas, Ganas, Gods & Goddess Idols are there. Near the premises Shri Ranga Temple is also there with a large Lord Hanuman sculpture.

The stone chariot is considered one of the finest example of Vijaynagar Architecture. It is actually a shrine devoted to Garuda which is considered the carrier of Lord vishnu. The same picture of stone chariot can be found out on the latest 50 rupee note of Indian currency. The chariot is placed right in the middle of the vithhala temple and has become a symbol of India's glorious history.

After coming out, i saw a big abandoned market in front of temple. I came to know it was a horse trading bazaar of that era.

On the way back, i saw Inscribed Vishnu temple also. There were few other monuments also like purandaradasa mandapa, koti linga, stone bridge & Sugreeva's Cave which i couldn't see as they were submerged under water.

After a nice sleep in the night, i took my breakfast next morning and started my journey. The first place i came across was famous Hampi Bazaar which was like a trade center of vijaynagra. It is in the street opposite to virupaksha temple. The bazaar was constructed with roofs made of big stones stabilizing on pillars. It was a big market and definitely the main trade zone of vijaynagar empire.

As i walked across the hampi bazaar, a little further, i could see a big sitting Bull sculpture in a shrine. It was called Monolithic Bull or Basavanna. The meaning of that is "Made out of singe stone."

As i moved ahead, i came across Achyutaraya Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This temple was constructed during King Achyut Deva Raya Regime. The temple premises was very vast and beautiful from inside.

There was a big bazaar known as Sule Bazaar in front of the temple. A large Pushkarni (Pond) was also there in front. The river nearby was flowing fiercely and water had reached till surface.

After taking tea, i changed my hotel because it was very close to the bank of the river and it was very uncomfortable. I took a hotel even more closer to virupaksha temple which was much safer. I took my dinner again in Mango tree restaurant and slept well.

There are exact 575 steps to be climbed to reach the top. The temple was amazing, peaceful and i felt tranquil to visit a place with such great history. I worshiped Lord there and couldn't believe that i was at Birth place of Lord Hanuman. The Arial view of Vithhala Temple and Tungabhadra river valley view were inexplicable from there. I sat there for some time and came down.

Next, the autowala took me to Pampa Sarovar. This place is believed to be where Lord Sri Rama met Mata Sabari. It is also believed that Goddess Pampa devi, one of the forms of Goddess Parvati used to take Lotuses from this pond to pray Lord Shiva. That's why the name is Pampa Sarovar. This pond is considered very sacred and is one of the five holiest sarovars for hindus. Nearby, there are temples devoted to Lord Shiva and paarvati, LordessVijay lakshmi, Pampa Devi.

I also saw the Mata Sabari Cave, where Mata Sabari offered already eaten sweet berries to Lord Rama. Lord RAMA's foot impression is also there in the temple.

After that, i reached famous UGRA NARSIMHA sculpture. It is the idol of Lord Narsimha sitting on a platform. The lord is being sheltered by seven headed serpent Lord Sheshnaga. It is said that Goddess Lakshmi's sculpture was also there on the lap of Ugra Narsihma, but got destroyed over the period of time.

Moving ahead i saw many temples and places on the way like Lord Veerbhadra Temple, Chandikeshwar Temple, Sisters Stones, Under ground Bhootnath Temple, Nobelmen's Quarters and Watch Tower. These monuments are very near to each other.

I saw the river breaking it's banks and i decided to go back to hotel. On the way i saw Matanga Hill. I came to know that it was the Penance place of Matanga rishi.

I decided to climb the hill. There were two ways to climb the hill. One is from Hampi Bazaar side and the other is from Achyutarya Temple side. And believe me, hampi bazaar side way is much more easier one. The way i went through was very dangerous and deserted. There was no one except me. There were few spots where there was no support to hold anything and a person could easily fall from the hill. Somehow i reached on the top. But the view from the top was mesmerizing and i totally forgot my anxiety. The view of Achyutarya temple and Tungabhadra river valley was out of this world. As i was sitting on the top, i could see the army choppers flying around and evacuating people from Hippie Island, where i was supposed to stay in the beginning. i was happy that i didn't go there. Later on, i even heard the news that few army men got washed away in the floods while rescuing people. After sitting for a while there, i started coming down and a gentleman guided me through the easier way.

I was really exhausted and wanted to have some rest. I Climbed the Hemkuta hill and sat there till dusk and got my mind relaxed with astonishing view of Tunbhadara river valley.

There are few other very important places also in anegundi, which i couldn't visit like Gagan Mahal, Navabrindavanna, Chintamani Temple and RanganathaSwami Temple. It is believed that from Chintamani Temple, Lord RAMA fired arrow to kill Bali during bali sugreev fight. The hill just far is considered to be the bone heap of Bali. The foot impressions of Lord RAMA and Lakshamana can be seen at this place.

Then we started from anegundi to Malyawant Raghunath temple. This temple is situated on the Malyavant hill and is considered to be the place where Lord Rama and Lakshamana stayed in the rainy season during their stay in Kishkindha. It is a beautiful temple. There are few mandapas inside the temple premises and their is a separate Goddess temple to the west of the main temple.

On the way to Malyavant parvat, there were few smaller temples and monuments like Gangidhi Jain temple, Bhima Gate & Pattabhirama Temple. There was a Archaeological Survey of India museum also. This museum is in Kamalapur town and is a must visit place as there is a lot of information about the life style, tools, scripts, utensils, GOD Idols & other things of Vijaynagar Dynasty. We took lunch at a roof top restaurant and finished our day's progressing.

I paid Autowala the amount and bid him farewell. There were number of places in the hampi and surrounding places which i couldn't visit due to floods and lack of information. Few of them, i have alrady mentioned in the article and remaining are Octagonal Bath, Talarigatta Gate, Sri Krishnadevaraya Tomb and Chandermaulishwar Temple.

I took my rest in the night and decided to go to Badami the next day. Next day morning, I waived good bye to Hampi and started further journey.

It was an unforgettable visit and hampi is the place you would always like to have in your memories. It is the place, you would definitely like to recite to your children and grand children. It gives you the immense pleasure when u witness places you read in the books. Hampi attracts History enthusiasts and amazes them with its beauty.

Lastly i would like to add Hampi Route Map for proper understanding of the place.

Few things to keep in mind while travelling hampi.

1. Keep a handful of cash with you because very few ATM's are there and those too are always empty.

2. Keep adequate amount of drinking water with u. Sometimes you have to walk a lot and it is very hot.

3. Dont expect luxurious hotels. There are home stays and very few good hotels. Good hotels are available at kamalapur town which is around 5 kms from hampi.

4. Have proper information about all places before visiting.

5. Depending on Mobile internet is not an option here. Connection is very less all around. Internet can be operated through Hotel's WIFI only.

6. Dont go during rainy season or flood time. It can spoil the trip as the city is located on river bank.

7. Staying on Hippie Island can be a good option but every time you have to come to main city for visiting sites.

8. People here are very helpful and peaceful.

9. if you want to explore more, 4 to 5 days are required .

10. Hiring an auto is a good option for visiting places. Hiring bike or moped can be useful only for nearby places.