Hampi, Karnataka, India
Located on the central plateau in eastern Karnataka state Hampi is a ruined city that was the center of a thriving metropolis of 500,000 about 500 years ago. The ruins that remain of the city are scattered over a large area and consist mostly of that which was built with stone - temples, bazaars (market areas), statues, and buildings associated with the royal family. The landscape around it is fantastically hilly and covered with massive boulders, reminiscent of the opening scenes of the old TV show MASH. In between the boulders are banana plantations and some of the greenest rice paddies you'll see anywhere. The area is said to be the abode of the monkey god Hanuman, to whom there is a mountaintop temple dedicated, and the rocky landscape supposedly created by his army of monkeys.
Hampi is a fantastic sight that I somehow knew almost nothing about despite considering myself very well travel-read, so it came as a pleasant surprise and turned out to be one of my favorite places in India
. We started out our full day there traveling between the widely dispersed sites via tuktuk on a guided tour, first to the grand Vittala Temple known for its ornate stone chariot, then on to the Royal Center, and several more stops at interesting temples and statues. We passed so much else along the way, though, that it was clear we were only scratching the surface of what there is to be seen at Hampi. After lunch I wandered on my own to climb Mattanga Hill, visit the Achyutaraya Temple and Sule Bazaar, and then the still-functioning and very busy Virupaksha Temple. In the late afternoon several of us climbed the over 600 steps to the hilltop Hanuman Temple for sunset panorama over the Hampi region. Hampi is a truly enchanting destination..
Hampi - Ancient Temple City of the Monkey God
Monday, January 13, 2014
Hampi, Karnataka, India
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