Hampi, Day I



Vittala Temple

 Day I Highlights:

Vittala Temple: Now this is a “must-see” when you are in Hampi. And this is where the famous Stone Chariot is located. We always engaged a Guide in such places to show us around. But with the on-going Hampi Festivals, none of the ASI guides were around. Apparently they were taking care of arrangements for the festival. But having struck a conversation with a “slightly off-guard” guard, if you know what I mean, he was ready to show us around for a few bucks. Well, we had nothing to loose, it was either way better than having no guide at all.



Stone Chariot at Vittala Temple



In the end the guard turned out to be alright, despite his wavering speech. He also helped us hear some sounds from the hollow musical pillars. The main temple complex with the musical pillars was however out-of-bounds for tourists owing to renovation work. The other star attraction at the Vittala temple is the Stone Chariot. This monolith Stone Chariot is exquisitely carved and speaks volumes of the great Indian craftsmanship.

Japanese style architecture

Achyutaraya Temple and Matanga Hill: Achyutaraya Temple is a desolate and abandoned temple situated next to Matanga Hill. I feel it’s mandatory that you climb Matanga Hill if you visit Hampi. You would get a bird’s eye view of Hampi, it’s surrounding villages and millions of rock formations as far as the eye can see. Apparently this Hill offers the best sunset on view, but it was way too early for us to wait for the sun to set. Bottom line – do not miss it.

Anjeyanadri Hill: Another must-see location in Hampi. Why? Because this hill is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. Getting there is a little tedious. You first need to cross the river Tungabhadra on a coracle (about Rs 50 per head), then walk some 4 kms to reach the foot of the hill and then climb some 600 odd (or more) steps. But if you have money to splurge, then you can take a longer coracle ride and reach a kilometer near the foot of the Hill. But then it’s all worth the effort considering the tranquility and significance of the location. From atop the hill there are 3 views on display – rocks, ruins and greenery. If you have the time, you might also want to check out Lord Sugriva’s hiding place, some 3 kms from here.

There are umpteen other ruins and structures that you’ll find along the way. But I’ll leave it to you to explore them. Also, if you are an Athletic person, you can cover all these places on foot with a coracle ride pitched-in for Anjaneyadri Hill. 

Precautions:

• Carry enough Sunscreen lotions and water bottles, since it is extremely hot and dry.
• The best time of the year to visit would be November, which is also the usual time of the Hampi Festival.
• To see the mentioned places in this blog, you need not hire a bicycle, since the terrain is difficult and it's easier to just walk.
• If walking is not an option for you, you can hire a Taxi or a Autorickshaw.
• it's better to coincide your visit with Hampi Festival, but be aware of the mildly uncivilized local population.

My Rating: 8/10