Hampi, the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, it was a grand and prosperous city from 14th to 16th century, and was known for its rich art and culture. According to chronicles of the European travellers, Hampi might have been the richest city of India at that time. It prospered the most under the rule of Krishnadeva Raya. Vijayanagara fell from its grace, when in 1565 the then ruler Rama Raya was defeated at the hands of the Deccan sultanates. The city was badly destroyed, temples were vandalized, idols and statues were damaged. What you see here today are the ruins of the illustrious past. Through this travelogue, I would take you to a virtual tour of the world’s largest open air museum of architecture.
Around the city, there are 7 major temples, more than 2000 small temples and around 4000 resting pavilions. Vijayanagara was a Hindu empire, but the kings were tolerant. So, people of all faith and religion used to stay here in harmony.
Our itinerary:
- Day 1:
- Reach Hampi in the morning
- Route 1 – Walk from Hampi Bazar to the vicinity of the Vitthala Temple, along the River Tungabhadra
- Coracle ride in the river
- Visit the Vitthala Temple
- Visit Kishkindha, Anjaneya Hill and Pampa Sarovar
- Day 2:
- Route 2 – Visit the Royal Enclosure in the morning
- Route 3 – In the afternoon, visit the Sacred Centre, including the Virupaksha Temple
At the end of the post, I would suggest an ideal itinerary for you to explore the place.
Day 1:
Reaching Hampi:
It was a hot and sunny morning of the last week of February 2020, when we got down at the Hospet (Hosapet). We travelled by an overnight train from Hyderabad. From the railway station, we took an auto-rickshaw to our homestay in New Hampi (Kaddirampura).
We had a long day ahead to explore. So, we quickly freshened up, had a heavy breakfast and started off. We came to the New Hampi bus stop and were lucky to get a government bus within a minute. It took us 10 minutes to reach the Hampi Bus stand/ Parking lot.
Route 1: From Hampi Bazar to the vicinity of the Vitthala Temple
Keeping the Virupaksha Temple on our left, we approached the Hampi Bazar on the right. One common point I noted in Hampi is that, all the big temples have an adjoining bazar – be it Virupaksha Temple & Virupaksha (Hampi) Bazar, or Vitthala Temple & Bazar, Krishna Temple & Bazar. All these bazars have a wide pathway, flanked by pavilions on both the sides for the traders to sells their goods. It seems that the pathways are wide in order to accommodate people coming by various means ranging from bullock carts to chariots and palanquins.
Hampi was one of the largest trading centres of that time. Traders used to visit not only from all over India but from faraway countries of Persia and Portugal.
Till a few years back, Hampi Bazar used to be a market for local people to sell variety of products. But now, Archaeological Society of India has vacated the place to restrict further damage to the ruins.
At the far end of the Hampi Bazar, is the Monolithic Bull Pavillion. On its right, there are a flight of steps that leads to a hillock bordered with large boulders and a variety of cacti. We walked across to the top of the hillock; and as we descended, we reached the entrance of the Achyuta Raya Temple complex. Inside, there are ruins of a few temple structures with various art forms on the walls and the pillars.
As we exited the Achyuta Raya Temple, we were on a wide street with ruined pavilions on both sides. This place is the Courtesans Street. A bit ahead on the left, is the Pushkarani – a temple tank – without any water.
Coracle ride and Riverside Ruins:
At the end of the Courtesans Street, the road bifurcates. On the right is the Varaha Temple. On the left are the Kodandarama Temple and the Yantrodharak Anjaneya Temple, two of the few live temples in Hampi. Further down from these two temples is the Chakratirtha, a wide expanse of the River Tungabhadra. Here, we took the Coracle (circular boats) ride.
The rate for the Coracle ride was Rs. 400 per person for a 30 mins trip and Rs. 800 for a 1 hour trip. The price is negotiable only for a large group. We took the shorter ride.
After a sweaty walk under the hot scorching Sun, the boat ride with a cool river breeze was the need of the hour. The oarsman navigated us under dark submerged caves and along the other bank of the river, where we could touch the large moist and mossy boulders.
After coming back to the shore, we further energized ourselves with tender coconut water. Then we started walking along the river bank, by keeping the Courtesans Street on our right. We came across ruined shrines and structures with intricate carvings. This place is called the Riverside Ruins. Large boulders are scattered all over the area.
We crossed structures like the Narasimha Temple and the Sugreeva’s Cave. From the Narasimha Temple, we could see the remains of the Ancient Bridge, used once to cross the river.
We then crossed a two-storied gateway and a tall arch popularly known as the King’s Balance, to reach the Vitthala Temple.
Vitthala Temple:
It is the most illustrious and famous monument of Hampi; and an architectural marvel. I strongly recommend that you take a guide for your visit; otherwise it would be just brick and mortar. I also suggest that you visit Vitthala Temple as early as possible in the morning, so that you can avoid the crowd and appreciate the art in solitude.
We purchased our tickets for Rs. 40, and approached the grand Gopuram (or Gopura), the entrance gateway. Gopuram is a prominent feature of the Dravidian style of architecture. It consists of a structure at the top that resembles the two horns of a cow. “Go” means the “holy cow” as per the Hindu scripts and “puram” means the “place of gods”.
Once inside the temple complex, the first structure that we came across is the iconic Stone Chariot, which speaks volumes about the unique craftsmanship of that period. It was built by Krishnadeva Raya, inspired by the Sun Temple of Konark.
There are a few halls and pavilions inside the complex. The one that intrigued me the most is the Ranga Mandapa, well-known for its 56 Musical Pillars. Each of these pillars consists of columns of varying number, height, thickness, design and spacing in-between. Expert musicians used to play on the pillars using sandalwood sticks to produce notes of SaReGaMaPa, Tabla, Mrudanga, Damru, Veena etc.
Other notable structures are the Maha Mandapa (main hall), Kalyana Utsava Mandapa (marriage hall), Bhajan Mandapa (hall for devotional songs) etc. All the structures have intricate sculptures on the pillars and walls bearing different stories, which will surely amaze you. Have at-least 2 hours of your time to visit the entire place.
Vitthala Bazar:
The bazar is L-shaped. As you come out of the main entrance of the temple, it is on your left as well as straight ahead towards the Parking lot. Vehicles are not allowed till the Temple Gopuram, and either you have to walk for around 1 KM along the Vitthala Bazar or ride a battery operated car (one way fare – Rs 10). We chose to walk. There are a few monuments on the way, so the walk was not that boring.
The temple timing is 6 AM – 6 PM, but the battery car starts operating at 7 AM. Vitthala Temple is one of the two places in Hampi where there is an entry fee. The other place is the Zenena Enclosure, where you can use the same ticket if you visit on that very day.
Kishkindha, Anjaneya Hill, Pampa Sarovar:
Our next destination was Kishkindha, the kingdom of the monkey king Sugreeva, as per the epic Ramayana. It is on the other side of the Tungabhadra river. We hired an auto rickshaw from the Vitthala Temple Parking lot.
On the way, we stopped on the Hampi-Basvandurg Bridge. Here, we captured the moments of the glittering rays of the afternoon Sun on the clear water of the Tungabhadra. Moving forward, we crossed green paddy fields and banana plantations on both sides, giving us an essence of the rural Hampi landscape.
After travelling for around 30 minutes, we came to the base of the Anjaneya Hill, the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. For the religious minded, there is a Hanuman Temple on the top of the hill.
And for the nature lovers, the hill-top provides a mesmerizing 360-degree view surrounding area – green paddy fields, interspersed coconut trees, massive boulders scattered around and the mystic Tungabhadra meandering away. It also provides stunning views of the sunrise and sunset. But you have to pay a little price for this – you have to climb almost 600 steps. And that too by making your way through the kingdom to monkeys, literally.
At a short distance from the Anjaneya Hill, is the the Pampa Sarovar. It is a sacred lake of the Hindus, and finds its mention in the mythology of Ramayana.
If you have time, you can visit the beautiful Sanapur Lake, a 15 minute drive from the Anjaneya Hill. And if you have missed the coracle ride at the Riverside Ruins, you can give it a try here.
Planning for tomorrow:
From our experience of today, we realized that on a hot sunny day, it is very tiresome to roam around for the entire day at a stretch. So, we decided that tomorrow we will start early in the morning and visit the Royal Enclosure. Then we will come back to our homestay, take bath, have lunch and after a little rest will visit the Sacred Centre. For tomorrow, we booked an auto for the entire day. We also booked the service of a local guide who will help us explore the places.
Day 2 Morning: Route 2 – The Royal Enclosure:
We started from the Sister Stones side. Our first stop was the Prasanna Virupaksha Temple, popularly known as the Underground Shiva Temple. The temple here is situated below the ground level.
Zenana Enclosure, Elephant Stable and Ranga Temple:
Zenana Enclosure was our next stop. It used to be a fortified and secluded area meant for the royal women. It is a large compound that has structures like Queen’s Palace (only the basement remains now), Jal Mahal and a Tank and a few watch towers. But the most remarkable structure is the undamaged Lotus Mahal, the summer palace of the Queen built in the shape of the lotus. Its architecture is such that it acted a natural air conditioner during the summer months. All the structures here represent the Indo-Islamic form of art, which is a reflection of the secular view of the rulers.
As we exited the Zenana Enclosure though the back side, the Elephant Stable was in front of us. And a small pathway on the right will took us to the Ranga Temple. The Elephant Stable, an enclosure for the royal elephants, is another example of the Indo-Islamic style of architecture. Next to it is the quarters of the mahots, who used to take care of the elephants.
The Core Royal Area:
Now we enter the nucleus of the Royal Enclosure, the ruler’s seat of power. It is a large area consisting of temples, tanks, underground chambers, durbars and ruins of numerous palace buildings.
The Hazara Rama Temple is located at the centre of the Royal Enclosure, and dedicated to Lord Rama. It has stories of Ramayana depicted on the walls and pillars. Just outside the Hazara Rama Temple is the Pan-Supari Bazar.
At the entrance of the citadel are two monolithic stone doors which mark the entry point. Inside, the first thing we noticed is the Mahanavami Dibba, a high elevated platform used by the Royals to watch the Navami celebrations. We climbed up the stairs and got a nice view of the entire surroundings. Then we visited the geometrically perfect Stepped Tank, the Aqueduct for channelizing water from the river, the Underground Chamber for secret meetings and the remnants of the Durbar (Audience) Hall.
Queen’s Bath, Chandrashekara Temple, Saraswathi Temple, Octagonal Bath:
Queen’s Bath is a single storey structure, meant to be the bathing place for the women of the royal family. From here, we moved towards Kamalapur and then took a diversion along a country road to reach the Chandrashekara Temple. It has detailed and minute architecture on every pillar and wall. Further down the same road is the Saraswathi Temple on a mound. And a little ahead is the Octoganal Bath, a huge bathing area in the shape of an octagon.
Due to lack of time, we could not cover the must-visit sites of the Archeological Museum and the Pattabhirama Temple at Kamalapur. While coming back to our homestay for lunch, we passed the serene Kamalapur Lake.
Day 2 Afternoon: Route 3 – The Sacred Centre:
The Sacred Centre was the last leg of our Hampi tour. It consists of the area from the Virupaksha Temple in the North to the Uddana Veerabhadra Temple in the South. We started from Kadalekalu Ganesha, which is somewhere in the middle, because that is where our guide was waiting.
Kadalekalu Ganesha is a huge monolithic statue of Ganesha in a temple on the gentle slopes of the Hemakuta Hill. The belly of Ganesha here resembles the Bengal gram (known as Kadalekalu in the local language), and hence the name.
Next we moved southwards, and skipped the Sasivekalu Ganesha Temple for the time being.
Krishna Temple to Ugra Narasimha Temple:
We stopped near the Krishna Bazar and Krishna Temple. The temple was built by Krishnadeva Raya to mark as a symbol of victory over Utkal (present day Orissa). The main idol installed here was that of Balakrishna (infant Lord Krishna), which Krishnadeva Raya brought from a temple in Udayagiri. This idol was later moved to the State Museum in Chennai. The exquisite carvings and spectacular sculptures on the walls and pillars of the shrines inside the temple compound amazed us.
Across the road from the temple are the stone pavilions of the Krishna Bazar. Further down, is a Pushkarani, where we spotted a kingfisher.
Next we travelled to the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple and Badavalinga Temple situated in the same compound. Lakshmi Narasimha is also known as the Ugra Narsimha for the angry face that has been depicted. It is the largest idol – 22 feet height – in Hampi, carved out of a monolithic stone. Here, Lord Narsimha is sitting on the tail of a 7-headed cobra. Earlier, on the left lap of Narasimha was Devi Lakshmi. Both the hands and legs of the statue and the Lakshmi idol were destroyed during the invasion. What you see now is a renovated version of the original structure.
The Badavalinga Temple derived its name from Badavi, which means poor woman in the local language. This temple was not built by ruling kings, but by a poor woman. Here the lingam is 1 foot below water and 11 feet above. An unique feature of this Shiva lingam is the Trinetra – the Third Eye.
Hemakuta Hill and Group of Temples:
Due to time constraint, we could not cover Chandikesvara Temple and the Uddana Veerabhadra Temple. Instead, we turned back and came to the Sasivekalu Ganesha Temple. Here we bid a goodbye to our auto-rickshaw, as we planned to cover the rest of the day by foot.
Sasivekalu Ganesha is yet another magnificent monolithic structure of Hampi. Here, Lord Ganesha sits inside an open pavilion. His belly resembles the shape of mustard seed (“Sasivekalu” means mustard seed in the local language).
Sasivekalu Ganesha Pavilion is also the southern entry point for the Hemakuta Hill. The hilltop is a vantage point for enjoying the sunset. Another sunrise/ sunset point nearby is the top of the Matanga Hills, where we didn’t have a scope to venture.
Hemakuta Hill has a gentle slope. As we trekked to the top, we got a wonderful view of the surrounding landscape. The other side of the Hemakuta Hill descends towards the north to the Virupaksha Temple. On the slopes of this side are a cluster of 30 small temples, collectively known as the Hemakuta Group of Temples. Most of these temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Virupaksha Temple:
The last stop of our Hampi trip was the famous Virupaksha Temple, a Shiva temple, and the most prominent live temple of Hampi. It is still immaculate in the middle of the ruins around. Here the Gopuram has a Kalasam, a black metal structure, in between the cow horns. It is a large complex, consisting of smaller shrines and gateways. Although all the other monuments and temples in Hampi close at 6 PM, Virupaksha Temple remains open till 8 PM as the Arati for general public starts at 7.30 PM.
If you reach here before sunset, enquire about the “dark room”. From here, you can see an inverted image of the Gopuram of the main shrine through a pin-hole.
Inside the complex you can find Lakshmi, a 30 year old temple-elephant. You can buy bananas from outside the temple and feed her. But, to get her blessings, you have to give her some money. Beware of monkeys both in and around the Virupaksha Temple.
Time for Dinner !!!
There is a small pathway by the side of the temple, which led us to the River Tungabhadra. Here we saw some broken sculptures strewn on the stairs leading to the banks of the river.
We spent some time here, before going to the Mango Tree Restaurant for dinner. There the environment was lively and the food was good.
By the time we finished dinner, the last bus had left the Hampi bus stand at 8 PM. So, we took an auto rickshaw and came back to our homestay in New Hampi.
We had to leave Hampi the next day morning, for our second leg of our tour of Aihole, Pattadakal and Badami. But we will surely come back Hampi with few more days in hand.
Some useful tips and information:
How many days are ideal for a Hampi trip:
If you are an ardent lover of ancient art and architecture, even a week is not enough to explore Hampi. But for an average traveller, a 3-day planning should be enough to cover the place in a relaxed manner. As we squeezed our plan in 2 days, we had to hurriedly visit many monuments and had to skip a few of them.
So, how should you plan your 3-day trip? One day can be reserved for the Riverside Ruins and the Vitthala Temple. The next day you can visit the Royal Enclosure and the Kamalapur area. On the 3rd day, you can visit the Sacred Centre, along with Kishkindha.
How to travel to Hampi:
Hampi is around 30 minute’s journey from Hospet, the nearest rail-head. Hospet is well connected to the South Indian metro cities of Hyderabad and Bangalore through rail and road transport. Apart from that, trains are available to Hospet from other places like Kolkata, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Mumbai etc.
From Hospet bus stand, there are regular buses to Hampi. You can also hire your own auto. From Hospet railway station, the auto that took us to our homestay in New Hampi charged us Rs. 200.
The Best Time to visit Hampi:
The best time to visit Hampi is during the winter months of November to January, when the weather is pleasant. You can also visit during the monsoon, but you need to be careful while walking over the boulders as they may be slippery.
We visited in the end of February, and it was already very hot. So, you can imagine about the condition during summer. Also, the place being full of boulders, it gets heated up very quickly.
Who will guide you in Hampi:
I would suggest you to do some homework before you arrive in Hampi. You can also buy a detailed guide-book of Hampi which will help you to explore the different places, or you can avail the service of a local guide.
For our exploration of Hampi, we took the service of a local guide for visiting the Vitthala Temple, the Royal Enclosure and the Sacred Centre.
We were lucky to get Nagaraj (Contact – +91-82173-35459) as our guide. He is an ASI-certified guide, is very knowledgeable and explained all the monuments in a detailed manner. He was also very patient to answer all our questions. Being an off-season, he charged us Rs. 2000 for the entire day. But, in the peak season, the charge goes up to Rs. 3000-3500.
How to visit the places in and around Hampi:
You can hire a bicycle or moped and explore on your own. Or you can hire an auto rickshaw or a car for an entire day. Auto can be hired for point-to-point transit also, but the total cost might shoot up if you make multiple such hops in a day.
For our second day, we hired an auto from Ranajit (Contact – +91-87620-24986). He stays in New Hampi, near our homestay. His auto is a bigger one, which can accommodate 5-6 tourists. He is a nice and jovial person, and charged us Rs. 1200 for the day.
Where to stay to Hampi:
We stayed in New Hampi (Kaddirampura), which is just 4 Kilometre before Hampi. This area has a lot of homestays. Local residents here rent out a couple rooms in their home for the guests. Our place of stay – Vinayaka Homestay – was one of such (Contact number – +91-87622-04511). Here, the hosts stay on the ground floor, and the two rooms on the first floor are for the guests.
Do not have a high expectation if you book one of these homestays. The rooms are simple, and the local cuisine prepared by the hosts is also simple. In proper Hampi area also, there are a few homestays. Please note that, you will get only vegetarian food in and around Hampi.
If you prefer lodging in Hotels, the nearby town of Kamalapur can be your choice. You can find more hotels in Hospet, but staying in Hospet would mean that your travel time will increase.
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If you like my posts, please allow me to send my next published post automatically to your Inbox. Please Subscribe in the form below, and Follow me on Instagram and Facebook.
Hi
We are also planning for a 3days trip to Hampi next month. Your blog is of immense help to us, however, it would be very nice if any contact number of the homestay is available. We r 6people with 3 senior citizens & 1 child.
Thank you in advance.
Thank you for your feedback. I have now updated the blog with the Homestay owner’s contact number.