A JOURNEY BACK IN TIME
Kings, Generals, Battles and the stories of valor is something which we all grew up on. Lost cities, folklore, tales from the ancient times have long baffled us and our imagination. The Indian history textbook is full of chapters which shaped modern India and the great Indian civilization. Many kings conquered vasts kingdoms, some perished , some got etched in history and some just left ... one such ancient Empire which seldom gets a mention in our textbooks is the Kingdom of Vijayanagar and its capital City Hampi ( Word derived from the name of Goddess Hampa Devi - Anglicized name is Hampi ). A majestic city, the second Roma of the world and an ancient ruins which even today proudly stands tall as the symbol of pomp, grandeur, and richness. A city so magnificent which perhaps lost out to many foreign invaders who came, saw, looted and just destroyed...
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| Striking Resemblance to the Pantheon - A symbol of Indian Architecture in Hampi |
We started our journey from Mumbai, on a road less traveled in our very own fiatpunto. A distance of 748 Km was by no means a small task, but supporting us in this road trip was our quest for adventure, our determination and the endless countryside landscape which perhaps one seldom gets to see. The road to Hampi is via NH4 towards Hubli http://wikitravel.org/en/Hampi . The closest station to Hampi is Hospet, a quaint little town still stuck in the present and medieval ages of ancient India.
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| Scenic monsoon drive on the NH4 |
After approximately driving for 11 hours at stretch and with two flat tyres in the middle of the state highway , we managed to reach Hospet at 4:00 a.m. The Govt run Guest House, Hotel Priyadarshini was kind enough to let us in with a measly sum of INR 1000 per night. After a heavenly sleep, we straight headed towards the majestic ruins, upon entering the lost City, we were warmly greeted by the historic gate which still displays the beauty and charm of 14th century.
As you enter the city, one get to see millions of boulders surrounding the 29 sq km area, the city is stunning and one can simply wander around whilst discovering the rich vibrant history. The heavenly kingdom immediately transports you back to the era where once gold,diamonds and other rare commodities were publicly traded on the streets.Our humble guide, Mr.Naagraj took us for a lovely tour of the marvelous architecture, the idols and the detailing on the walls is somethings which even today none can emulate. With more than 2200 temples, Hampi is an architectural paradise, we were told that out of the 2200 temple only 22 temples have been excavated by ACSI ( Archaeological Survey Of India).
One of the most remarkable features of Hampi was also its self sufficient economy. The empire's vast expanse stretched from Karnataka to Sri lanka till the present day Orissa, Under the rule of Shri Krishnadevraya, the 15th Century Ruler, the empire flourished in art,craft,precious metals and commodities. There were many traders from the west who visited the city to trade for spices, tobacco, gold, diamonds and other precious metals. The temples and the magnificent work is something which can't be explained, but has to be seen with the naked eye. Every inscription talks about the way of life at Hampi giving us a rare glimpse of the empire which unfortunately somewhere got lost in time.
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| Sun Temple Replica of Konark built by the 15th Century Ruler of Viajanagar - Krishnadevraya to mark his victory over Orissa |
The city close to 17th Century fell to Muslim invaders , it is said the King's sandalwood palace burnt for six odd months before turning into ashes.The empire which was once equated with Rome and Portuguese Travelers like Domingo Paes wrote poems describing its beauty was lost in time only to be excavated is 1982. Hampi today is the world UNESCO Heritage site and is one of the most popular tourist destinations for the world.
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| The Lotus Palace - Queens mid -night abode |
Finally, after a spectacular tour , we settled for a nearby small village on the other side of the river in Virupapur Gadde. Virupapur Gadde, with it's chilled out environment on the edge of paddy fields, attracts plenty of foreigners and tourist. It is here that you are allowed to binge on alcohol and a bit of meat , as it is strictly prohibited in Hampi owing to the religious sentiments. After a relaxed evening with some home made pasta and small pegs of Vodka , we crashed in our small little cottage only to wake up to a beautiful sunrise across the paddy field.
After a hot shower , we headed straight towards the stall which was serving hot Idlis with grated coconut chutney right outside the Virrupaksha Temple, the most sacred temple within the City. Followed by a quick darshan and some last minute marble souvenir shopping we headed straight back to our City of Dreams - Mumbai.
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| The Car Fiat Punto was provided by Fiat India Pvt Ltd, This trip would not have been possible without the support of our dear friend Akshat Jain, Many Thanks Akshat. |
Being a Mumbaikar, we all know that there aren't many roadtrips which we can take unlike our Delhi friends, but I must admit the road to the lost empire - Hampi is one the most satisfying journey which one can take. In short, if you wish for a quick tour back in time, Hampi will certainly not disappoint you.
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| PS: Giving me company on this trip were two of my dear friends and colleagues, Bhushan Rao and Rahul Mathur. |
