En route to the ruins of Hampi

Ankit: Oye yaar! Long weekend a raha hai ...chal Hampi chalte hai!

Me: Ha yaar! 26^th ko Republic Day, 27^th ko I will fall sick and 28^th, 29^th is a weekend.

Ankit: Sourav ko call lagata hu. Accomodation and transport ka bhi pata karna hai.

Me: Ha yaar thore kapre bhi lene hai!!

Well I would describe this trip to be the best among all so far, the reason being the misfortune that didn’t accompany us along. The journey kick started on 26^th January’17 and Sugama Travels was all set to begin at 10:30 pm from Bengaluru. Surprisingly it began with less selfies. We reached Hosapete (14kms from Hampi) the next morning at 5.30 am. At that very instant we were surrounded by a swarm of auto drivers, willing to take us to Hampi at a whopping price of 500 rupees only!! At a few yards distance, we found JSW Vijaynagar Bus Terminal. Buses ply from Hosapete at Platform no. 12 from 6:00 am onwards, charging 13 rupees per head. After a 30 minutes bus ride, we reached Hampi and there it was, the grand ‘Virupaksha Temple’, the first view of the day. Meanwhile the caretaker of Yeswanth Guest House (our place of refuge) was waiting by the bus stop to receive us. After a wholesome breakfast session at the Hampi Roof Top restaurant we started the on-foot journey to excavate Hampi!

Day One:

The first day’s so called ‘Dandi March’ was dedicated to this part (the orange anticlockwise loop)

P.C. http://hampi.in/hampi-ruins-map

It covered the following spots:

Virupaksha Temple à HemaKuta Temples à Kadalekalu Ganesh à Sasivakelu Ganesh à Badaviling Temple à Lakshmi Narasimha Temple à Chandikeshwar Temple à Underground Siva Temple à Mohammadan Watch Tower à Hazarama Temple àKing’s Audience Hall àLot of Pushkarnis.. à Mahanavami Dibba à Lotus Mahal à Elephant’s Stable à Ranga Temple à Queen’s bath à Kuduregombe Mandappa à Vitthala Temple à Walk by the Tungabhadra river à Back to Virupaksha

From the grand view of Virupaksha Temple through HemaKuta hill to the unique construction of the Underground Siva Temple; from the gigantic area of the King’s audience Hall to the aerodynamically designed Lotus Mahal; from the beauty and serenity of Queen’s bath to the Stone Chariot of Vithala Temple; every single stone spoke highly of the historic Vijayangara Empire. As the day turned to dusk, the final piece was yet to be unveiled. We returned to Virupaksha from Vitthala along the banks of Tungabhadra River. The far reaching Tungabhadra clearly resembled the lifeline of Hampi. I would request to cover as much as of these spots on foot because that’s how the journey will turn adventurous. However there are other alternatives such as a 2-wheeler or a bicycle to add up to same.

Day Two:

The second and the last day began on a trekking note to Matanga Hills. We started at 5:00 am and within 45 minutes we were at the top of the hills, waiting for the beautiful sunrise. In no time, the morning red rays filled up the earth and so did the mesmerising music of surya namaskara; a scene worth watching. After this we checked out of the guest house and started off the second and last day to the following spots:

P.C. http://hampi.in/hampi-ruins-map

Virupaksha Temple (part2) à Crossed Tungabhadra River à Anjana Hill (Monkey Temple) à Chintamani Temple à Back to pavilion

Regardless of the fact that very few spots were covered, the second day proved to be equally beautiful. The other side of the river was filled with greenery thereby inviting a healthy ecosystem in and around the area. Passing by the paddy fields we reached Huligi-Gangavathi Road. Buses ply at regular intervals of 15-20 minutes but we couldn’t get one. So we hired an auto and went along to Anjana Hill. A temple situated 575 steps above; Anjana Parvat (Hill) is considered as the birth place of Lord Hanuman. The awestrucking scenic beauty around the temple triggered unending goose bumps. We were privileged to unfold few pages of Ramayana on arriving at Chintamani Temple, Annegundi, and the last spot of the day. This temple houses a cave where Ram met Sugreev for the first time. 

With this we ended the journey on a blissful note. But I must say that given the time and circumstances if I get an opportunity I would visit Hampi again; such is the grandeur of the place.