HAMPI- A RELEGIOUS AND HISTORIC
PLACE IN INDIA
Hampi
is both a historic & relegious place in India. This was the capital
of the Hindu empire,Vijayanagara, who ruled the south India during 14th to 16th
century AD. Hampi, as it is known today, is a vast open museum of history,
architecture and religion .Krishna steeling cloths of the Gopis. Image from
Pattabhirama TempleSpread over an area more than 25 square kilometers (10
square miles), Hampi ruins is packed with giant temples, palaces, market
streets, aquatic structures , fortifications and an abundance of other ancient
monuments.
The giant boulder strewn hills and
the river that bisects make a bizarre landscape for this ancient metropolis.
Together with its historic and mythological residues this rural area makes a
perfect tourist spot. Hampi is in the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites.
Hampi is located in Karnataka state ,
a southwestern province of India.It’s about 350 kilometers (217 miles) north of
Bangalore, the state capital.Hospet, a small town located about 12 kilometers
(8 miles) from Hampi is the nearest railway station. This is the main gateway
to Hampi. Hospet is connected by rail to other important towns like Bangalore,
Bijapur, , Guntakal ( a major rail junction) , Hyderabad and Vasco Da
Gama (Goa). Train is a preferred .The nearest airport to Hampi is Bellary
(60km/ 37miles) and Hubli (170km/106miles). Other airports are Belgaum (190
km/188 miles) and Bangalore (350 km/ 217 miles). Flight connectivity varies
depends on the destinations.
Hospet, the gateway town to Hampi,
can be reached by bus, car or by train. Typically it’s an overnight journey
from Bangalore, Hyderabad or Goa.From Hospet catch the local bus or hire a
taxi/auto-rickshaw, in about 30 minutes you would be dropped at the centre of
Hampi.
This temple campus contains many
halls and shrines. The halls are noted for its extraordinary pillars with the
animated carvings on it. A set of pillars, known as ‘musical pillars,’
resonates when tapped. A huge stone chariot complete with wheels carved out of
stone stands in front of the main temple. The environment of this temple is
packed with numerous smaller but ornate temples and a wide chariot street of
the temple. More on Vittala Temple ?
Krishna Temple: This temple is
dedicated to lord Krishna, one of the ten incarnations of lord Vishnu. In Hindu
mythology Krishna is known for his romantic encounters and political
shrewdness! This temple was actually dedicated to the lord in his infant
(crawling) form. The complex consists of the main shrine, shrines of the
goddesses, the chariot/market street and the temple tank. The main hall spots a
series of pillars carved with mythical rampant creaturesLakshmi Narasimha : This giant
monolithic statue of the man-lion god is the largest icon in Hampi. Narasimha
which is one of the ten avatars (incarnation) of lord Vishnu is depicted in a
cross-legged seated position. It’s believed that the original image contained
his consort Lakshmi sitting on his lap. This image was destroyed during the
enemy invasion. Currently only a hand of the goddess resting on his waist can
be seen.Queen’s bath: This structure belongs to the royal area of the capital.
Probably used by the courtly ladies or the king himself, this looks like an
indoor aquatic complex. A large veranda with protruding balconies all around
faces the central pool. This is one of the typical example of the Indo-Islamic
hybrid architecture.Lotus Mahal:This ornate structure was probably used by the
military chief as his office or the queens of the palace as a pleasure
pavilion. The pavilion spots Islamic architecture style arches and the roofs
and base typical of Hindu temples.Hazara Rama Temple : This was a private
temple of the king. The temple is special with its exceptionally carved outer
walls, an unusual feature in other Vijayanagara temples. The story of Ramayana
(the Hindu epic) is impressively carved on all around the shrine walls like a
comics strips on stone. The inner shrine contains four polished pillars with
detailed carvings of godly themes.
Elephant Stables: That was the
shelter for the royal elephants. This long structure is made of a series of
chambers with domical roofs. Each chamber is big enough to accommodate two elephants.
The central hall with an elaborated tower probably was used by the ceremonial
band troop.Pattabhirama Temple:This is a sprawling temple campus dedicated to
lord Rama. The pillared halls are of special note. Tall mythical beats carved
in the shape of a series of pillars.
Hospet town is the place where one
can get accommodation that is rated as luxurious in Hampi’s scale. Kamalapura,
a village centre close to Hampi is the second option. This is the place where
the state run hotel with fair level of staying comfort is located.Hampi
village, the epicenter of backpacker tourism, is the budget type accommodation
scene. In fact every other house here is a guest house. They rent out rooms
within or attached to their homes.Virupapur Gadde across the river is the den
for the hippy genre.This is a place where you can rent huts, mostly located
close to the riverbanThis kingdom was located at the edges of the Muslim
sultanates of the Deccan area. That brought in an unusual combination of
cultures that Hampi could boast of. The evidences of these are loud in Hampi’s
architecture. Apart from the Hindu and Islamic traditions, Jainism was a major
religion in Hampi.
"Hampi" was the capital of
Vijayanagar, a 14th century empire. The ruins of this imperial capital are spread
out over an area of 26km². "A Forgotten Empire" (ISBN 1419101250) by
Robert Sewell is an interesting book which describes the rise and fall of the
Vijayanagar empire. Before the fall of Vijayanagar, diamonds were sold on the
streets, but the main street selling diamonds and other precious stones was
surprisingly called Pan Supaari Street (translated in English, it means
betel-leaf betel-nut street). A visitor can still see the exact location of Pan
Supaari Street in Hampi, which has been marked with a board by the
Archaeological Survey of India.
here’s also a mythological
association with Hampi. Locals and folklore has it that this area was the
mythical Kishkinda Vanara kingdom from the Ramayana and this is where Rama and
Lakshmana stayed before they headed off to Lanka in search of Sita. There are a
couple of mountains and places which are believed to be the places where
Sugreeva, Vali, Hanuman and Ram stayed back then…Which brings me to the Hazara Rama
Temple. Hazara Rama… 1000 Rama? Cause of the 1000 inscriptions / sculptures of
Rama on the walls of the temple? Well no… actually Hazara Rama comes from the
word Hazarumu which in telegu means Entrance Hall This place has one of the
most beautiful and intricate carvings lot of them describing what happened back
in Ramayana and some of them depicting various Vishnu avatar. It was also a
private temple of the royal family.
Prof. John Kurakar
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