Indian Jones in the Hampi Ruins

 

I never realized the fascination behind chasing sunsets and sunrises. Here I am ascending the small hillocks of boulders in Hampi, Karnataka, chasing yet another sunset. Whether it is the melody of colors that are on display or sight of something ending that lights up the part of the brain to satiate the quintessential urge of closure. God only knows! Speaking of God, Hampi is deeply rooted in mythology and Indian history. I will speak about this in greater length in the subsequent parts of this blog. Let’s focus on this poor human trying to overcome physical and mental demons to bid farewell to the Sun god a.k.a Sunset. Allow me to set the context for mental demon. This hillock was in the countryside about 20 mins walk from our home stay. The entrance was through some stones and the route was snaking around bushes and big boulders. I advanced for about 15 minutes and reached a stage where I could not hear any vehicles nor was there a single living soul. Only the bushes and big stones staring into me and the deafening silence. Seeds of panic started to germinate and the fear of the unknown, instilled in us for generations of evolution, made its appearance. The Fight/Flight response dictated I retrace my steps back and leave. I returned to find a couple from Germany at the foot of the hill trying to ascend unperturbed. They did not have an iota of doubt or fear while getting into the unknown. Meekly I asked them if I could join them to the top and they agreed. The peak was Lord Hanuman’s temple and one of the glorious sunsets ever seen in my life.

Virupaksha Temple complex

Hampi was the headquarter of the prosperous Vijayanagara empire in the 14^th and 15^th century on the banks of the river Tungabhadra. The topography of the entire area will remind you of the childhood cartoon series: ‘Flintstones’. The sun is scorching without a hint of cloud, the big rust-colored austere boulders are contrasted with green paddy fields and coconut trees. Unforgiving and yet enticing to the senses. With these natural settings, we add the intrigue of old ruins of temple and civilization and the mystery of history. It’s a mirage which will mesmerize you!

Main mantapa with the paintings on the ceilings

On our first day, we began our journey by paying our respects to the main temple shrine- Virupaksha temple. This temple used to be the epicenter of activities and the coronation sight of kings. What is interesting is the fact that this used to be a smaller temple. Extension work was commissioned by Kings to mark their victories and offer the larger spaces of worship. The coronation centre is a marvel with inscriptions on walls and mosaic paintings on the ceiling depicting some verses from Ramayana. Omnipresence of the Hindu deities and their stories especially from the Ramayana and Mahabharta across India begs the question- Whether did these sagas really happen or was the storytelling marketed so well across India? My observation is that language, food and life style change every few kilometeres in India in contrast the religious beliefs have taken strong roots in the India psyche. The consistency in the beliefs all across the Indian subcontinent about lord Rama lingers in the corners of the mind and it shakes the foundation of thoughts based on science. Belief and Logic at loggerheads as were the Vijaynagara empire and the Deccan sultanates. As we explore inside the Virupaksha temple, the butchering of beliefs done by the sultanates is more evident in the desecration of deities. However, the temple complex houses some undisturbed parts- Temple of goddess Bhuvaneshwari who is considered the goddess of Karnataka. Our guided tour ended at a ‘pushkarni’- stepwell. The positive energy from this place was enriching to chart our course to the next destination.

Hemakuta Hills with small temples/ stays

Adorning the Virupaksha temple complex are the Hemakuta hillocks. These hillocks display one of the most eye-catching rustic Indiana jones movie set up. Big greyish Boulders converted into temples/ resting places with some incredible geometrical inscriptions dotting the entire hill. What is unlike what we have seen is the fact that the entire hill is a rock. No traces of soil or mud or vegetation. Ketaki and I jovially debated about their existence as 5 star hotels for visitors during the time. The area is an abode to two Ganesha statues- Saasivekalu Ganesha and Kadalekalu Ganesha. The latter monolithic statue is named after its structure resembling the shape of Bengal gram. What is source of fascination is that both the idols would have seen many monsoons and yet they stand still blessing the devotees.  

(L): Exploring the isolated Krishna market place (R): Narasimha monolith 

My favorite part of the day was visiting the Krishna complex marketplace. This used to be an elaborate establishment for trade. Arabic horses were an important commodity for the rulers of the empire. This hustling and bustling place during its era has reached the extreme end of obscurity. Can you imagine that it was just the two of us exploring this Crawford market like area. Only the ghosts of prosperity linger in these sun-baked lands. This was my moment of Indian(deliberately spelt incorrectly) Jones exploring the ruins in Karnataka. Exactly infront of the market place is the Krishna temple complex. This temple was built to commemorate the victory of king Krishnadevaraya over the Gajapati empire in Orissa. The main elaborate entrance door is a spectacle of awe. Carvings of the entire war sequences with emotions on the faces of the warriors are a true testament to some ingenuity of the stonemasons. We checked out the Narasimha statue- the expression of the face can invite goosebumps. Also in the same complex if the monolithic Shiv Linga which is surrounded by water pumped from the Tungabhadra river.

Vijaya Vitthala temple with musical pillars in the background

The second day was dictated by body crushing heat and artistic ingenuity. We filled up our tummies with some authentic Dosas from a local nearyby village. There is indeed some different sense to locally produced food items. Whether its the climate or the water or non-capitalistic mindset to only serve and not reap heavy profits. We hired an autorickshaw to cover places which were at a distance. First stop: Vitthala temple. Now don’t get the impression that we are a pious couple finding temples. The ‘not so secular’ Deccan sultanates looted temples and de-erected statues of deities in pursuit of hidden treasures. The belief is that once the deities are disturbed it does not house positive energy and hence no longer remains a temple. However, the million hours of labor of artistic energy continues unharmed. That is the energy we wanted to assimilate in all these places. Vijaya Vitthala temple is the pinnacle of Vijaynagara architecture.   

The new Rs. 50 note with the stone chariot

Situated about a kilometer from the main road, our walk to the shrine went through multiple mantapas and a massive pushkarni. The Vijaya Vitthala temple, built by King Devraya-II and further extended by Krishnadevayara, was made in honor of the Vitthala incarnation of Vishnu. The main mantapa is a massive square structure where devotion in the form of poojas used to happen. The two major attractions are the Stone chariot and the musical pillars of the Rang mantapa. You might remember the stone chariot on the recent denomination of Rs. 50. This stone chariot, unlike traditional chariots is stationary and cannot be moved. It was inspired by the travels of the kings to the Sun temple in Konark. So impressed was the king that he commissioned his men to build a similar one.

The Hampi Ruins Explorers

The rang mantapa was made in honor of the queen who loved to dance. The story goes that the pillars were made from material which emitted sound on being instigated at the right frequency. The musicians in that era tapped on the walls of these pillars in certain frequencies to create music and the queen danced to the tunes of this melodious suras. The stone inscriptions have 3D imagery and slots for diamonds to reflect light inside the main structure for a memorable artistic experience. What an irony- These engineering marvels in these temples have stood the test of time and weather and continue to amaze and where we struggle to get either sides of flyovers at the same level (subtle dig to construction in Mumbai) in spite of access to ever evolving technology.

(L): Octagonal bath (R): Hazara Rama temple with Ramayan inscriptions on the wall

The quest continued with the visit to Queen’s bath, Octagonal bath and Malyavanta hill. Now these kingdoms had absolutely no limitations of FSI (Floor space index) during their constructions. The size of these baths as big as 4 flat’s space filled me with a deep sense of resignation to my circumstance especially since we recently bought a place in Mumbai. What fascinations with baths these people had- humongous areas with fountains and one entire swimming pool for just one lady’s bath? My Mumbai area infested mind could not digest. Legend has it that King Rama stayed on the Malyanata hill during the four months of monsoon to gather his army. Mythology always adds a zing and different charm to simple structures.

Geometrical Step well 

Next destination: Royal enclosures and the massive elephant stables. There is absolutely no trace of royalty in these structures. An elevated Mahanavmi platform for big occasions like Dusshera give the impression of the immense festivities that would have been conducted. What caught our interest was the stepwell. There is something eye catching about perfectly geometrical structures. Recently the nation saw the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya with great pomp. We took this event a notch higher by visiting the Hazra Rama temple which plainly translates to thousand Rams. The unique point about this temple is the inscription of episodes of Ramayana on the walls. Very detailed and yet not overpowering to the eye.

Humongous Hampi Boulders

We took it easy on the third day of our travel. Our cottage was paddy facing and we completely utilized the ambience to get some semblance of peace in our exhausting life. The maze of green paddy fields and the sighting of different birds was the perfect antidote of the city madness. We started the day with the visit to Anjanadri hills which is considered the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. This is situated diametrically opposite the Vithhala temple with the Tungabhadra river drawing a line between the two.  Thousands of devotees flocked to take the blessings. Some other attractions like Sanapur lake and Pampa sarovar were worth visiting. The highlight of the day came in doing absolutely nothing. Hampi is known for hippy vibes. The cafes are made to cater to this target audience. Time slows down and mental activity takes a break. There is joy in not being productive every time and happiness in passing time without any agenda. We found a café nestled in paddy fields and domestic animals. We sat there for 3 hours staring at a friendly dog, observing an Israeli group and reading our books and no social media. A big shoutout to you city dwellers: there is peace in not doing anything. Embrace it once in a while.

Chill hippy vibes

I would like to conclude this travel chronicle with a mythical character ‘Yazhi’ seen on the walls of most temples. The yazhi is an ancient mythical creature which is a combination of a lion, an elephant and a snake. It is believed to possess the masculinity of a lion, perception of an elephant and decorum of a snake. All traits of prosperity. The hand that tames this animal is the ultimate one. Unfortunately the animal is mythical and so is this prosperous empire too.

Hampi- A must visit for history buffs and appreciators of a unique geography.