The rivers of central and peninsular India are amazingly beautiful. This is not to take away from the mighty flows of the snow fed rivers of North India, but their more southerly sisters have a languid charm of their own.
Ever since we rafted on the Betwa at Orchha and went for a magical boat ride at sunset on the Ken at Panna, the enchantment has been growing. Experience the Narmada in spate at the Dhuandhar falls at Jabalpur followed by a gentle ride through the marble rocks nearby and the enchantment becomes a powerful magnetism that draws you back again and again. On a recent trip to Hampi I thought that the charms of the Tungabhadra river deserved pride of place in this article even ahead of the well preserved medieval city.
This blog is not a historical record of the Vijaynagara Empire that flourished between 1336 - 1646 CE. The empire was the highest point of Hindu power in South India and at one point covered the entire south from Orissa downwards with its capital at modern Hampi. The empire served as a bulwark against Islamic expansion further south and has probably helped to preserve the rich legacy of South Indian temples and sacred art. The greatest ruler was Krishnadevaraya (1509–1529).
Rather we will focus on things to see from a tourist perspective.
Our trip began with a morning flight to Bangalore. Devi's brother Velu and his wife Sarada took the morning Vande Bharat from Chennai to Bangalore and we eventually connected at a place called Dobbaspet where the roads from Bangalore airport and the city intersect on the way to Hampi. This was a trip together after 2021 when we had driven from Delhi to Chennai together when the first wave of Covid was receding. I had written a blog about that epic drive that you can read by clicking the link below:
Delhi to Chennai
The drive from Bangalore to Hospet (the nearest town to Hampi) is around 360 km and can take 7 hours due to the ongoing construction on the highway.
It's a tedious drive, best avoided, but the alternatives are not very promising either. Trains are slow and can take 10 hours to cover the distance. A flight has recently been started to Vidhya Nagar Airport near Hampi from Bangalore but the airline is still new so we decided not to take a chance. Either way, travel to Hampi is challenging. Food stops are also average. If you need a loo break, petrol pumps may offer cleaner alternatives than restaurants.
There are lots of windmills on the way. I had not realised just how enormous these structures are. The picture shows one of the blades of a windmill being transported on a very long trailer truck. It was certainly more than 25m long!
Our hotel at Hospet was average. Lackadaisical service and average food. A world heritage site like Hampi certainly deserves better! However, it got better soon after that. We drove off to the Tungabhadra Dam to see the sunset and it was truly spectacular! The lake formed by the dam is enormous - almost 400 sq km and is vital for providing electricity and irrigation to the parched Rayalseema region. The dam construction was completed in the 1950s.
The rivers Tunga and Bhadra both rise in the western ghats and flow eastwards. They merge at Koodli in Karnataka to form the Tungabhadra river. This is turn merges with the Krishna which eventually flows into the Godavari and then into the Bay of Bengal. The landscape is initially lush green, giving way to the spectacular boulder strewn expanse of Hampi. The river is also referred to as Pampa (another name for Parvati) in the Ramayan.
Day1
Our first visit was to the Vijaya Vittala, a Vishnu Temple. This is the temple with the famous musical pillars. It is said that the queen who was a temple dancer would dance inside the mandapa with silk curtains drawn around for privacy. The pillars would be struck by musicians effectively converting the whole temple into a vast musical instrument. We had the services of an excellent guide, Prakash for the entire trip. I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone going to Hampi. His contact number is +91 88841 18344
There is also a stone chariot in front of the temple that looks like a replica of the one at Konark.
One of the features of the Hampi is a market street in front of the temples. The structure of the markets still remain. The one in front of the Vittala Temple was a horse market. Contemporary accounts such as the one written by Domingo Paes a Portuguese traveler to the Vijaynagara empire in 1520 highlight the cosmopolitan and international nature of these bazaars with merchants and traders from many countries.
After the temple visit, we went for a boat ride in a coracle (a first for all of us!). This is essentially a large basket made with bamboo strips and coated with a tar cloth to make it waterproof.
There was a gentle breeze on the water as we drifted around. The boatman guided the coracle through the dense undergrowth on the river banks with rocky hills and boulders all around. The area around Hampi is the land referred to as Kishkinda in the Ramayan, the home of the Vanars and there are many caves and legends connected with Bali, Sugreev and Hanuman,
After the coracle ride, the guide took us to the Royal Enclosure. Near the entrance is a building known as the Queen's bath. It seems to have Islamic elements in the architecture.
There is a vast platform called the Mahnaumi Dibba from which the king would observe the Dussehra celebrations.
Ceremonial step wells and baths are also part of the buildings in the Royal Enclosure.
It was interesting to see how water from the Tungabhadra river was brought by a series of channels and aqueducts for all these buildings. Clearly the city could not have flourished without the bounteous river to provide much needed water in an arid climate.
Other buildings in the royal enclosure include the Lotus Mahal and the Elephants Stable.
That evening we went up to Malyavantha Parvata to see the sun set over the rocky landscape. The Ranganathaswamy temple is located at the summit.
Day 2
We began the day with a visit to the Virupaksha Temple - the most significant in Hampi. This is an impressive Shiva Temple.
There is a long market street street in front of the temple.
After the Virupaksha temple we went to the Yantroddharaka Anjaneya Temple. On the way are some of the prettiest stretches of the river and the rocky hills around.
We next visited the Kadalekalu Ganpati ( Peanut Ganesh)
Next was Ugra, Narasimha and Badavi Lingaa
Finally, we went back to the Royal Enclosure to the Hazara Rama Temple. This has carvings of the Ramayan story on its walls. The sanctum is made of pillars of black granite = perhaps the best carving in the whole of Hampi.
With that ended our brief visit to Hampi. We were short on time so we spent only two days there. For a more leisurely and comprehensive experience, I would recommend a 4 day trip. It would be also better to fly in and out. The road trip back to Bangalore was even more tedious as we crawled over a broken highway jammed with Bangalore's (in)famous traffic.
The ruins of Hampi are impressive for a few reasons:
- The scale is enormous
- Being a relatively new site (15th Century) the state of preservation is better
- The rocky landscape and the beautiful river.
However from an artistic perspective, I felt that the Ajanta paintings and the carvings at Ellora and Khajuraho are more intricate and beautiful. Perhaps the hard unyielding granite of Hampi made carving more difficult.
Having said that, Hampi is indeed one of the historical marvels of India. Well worth a visit!
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Take a look at my Mussoorie trilogy.
