The boulders of Hampi – you see them everywhere. They stand testimony to the creativity of the artisans, who created works of art which the world would admire…

They talk of Gods…..

And stories about them…

They talk about the people who lived among them…..

They tell us about those who fought for their kings….

They watched over as one king gave way, or was made to give way, for another…..
They watched as greed and envy ruled over everything else, and all the good work came to naught.
They watched as a bustling city was laid waste…… as it was abandoned…..

They were the sole witnesses as nature re-claimed the land……. As trees grew over whatever was left …….and poor farmers replaced the rich merchants who once walked along the same path……
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And then came those in search of the ancient ruins, and dug up the fields, exposing the stone floors below…. Bringing to light chambers which lay hidden under the earth….

People come from all over to world just to see them, and as I stand amidst them, I can’t help wondering if these huge boulders have a message for us….. Standing tall among all the ruins, are they telling us not to make the same mistakes as those before us? To live a peaceful life without greed or enmity, forgetting petty differences such as religion and languages, to live in peace and harmony, for as humans, our life is short. We will soon pass on, but these huge boulders shall remain witness to our lives too, and what we choose to make of it!

The first thing that strikes you in Hampi is these huge boulders all over the place. They were everywhere, and we started recognizing the distinctive ones over the two days we spent wandering around, looking at what was left of the erstwhile Vijayanagar Empire. While I listened to our guide and stared at the ruins with awe, all I could think of was the story that these huge boulders could tell, if only they could speak…. But then again, maybe they do speak…They speak of an age long gone by….

How they came to be there, no one knows for certain. Mythology says they were thrown there by a mischievous god. Science tells us that they are the last remnants of a volcanic eruption…….

No matter how they came to be there, they stand vigil, sole witnesses to the highs and lows of various dynasties who passed by….

They watched over as kings were born, as kings ruled and made their names, some for their valour, some for their wisdom, some for their greed….. Some found a way to tame these huge boulders, some as old as time……..

And they endured, as men found a way to break them up, carve them and use them to build their empire…… They bore the chisels as they worked their way inside, splitting them into smaller pieces, easier to manipulate….

They still bear the marks…. Even as they stand tall, still bearing the weight thrust on them…

They stand testimony to the kings’ foresight….. As water channels and aqueducts, capable of supplying water even today, five hundred years after they were made…

They stand testimony to the kings’ understanding of markets…. as huge areas set aside for commerce…

And they stand testimony to the kings’ spirituality… in the form of huge temples….

Geography has always excited me, but this time I decided to take the historical route. The best place to plunge yourself into a historical study is the ruined Vijayanagara empire at Hampi.

I took an overnight bus journey to Hospet, the nearest town from Hampi. The climate was quite hot and dry for most part of the day. For long, Hampi has been considered as a hippie’s hangout with a huge number of them heading there from Goa ( a hippie’s PARADISE).

This world heritage centre has a lot of historical importance as it showcases the beautiful ruins of the 16th century Vijayanagara empire, situated on the banks of Tungabhadra river. I hired a qualified guide who explained the historical relevences of each and every sculpture and carving. Without him, I would have ended up staring at every stone, creating my own stories of history.

Though I stayed only for a weekend there, most of the major sites were covered. The list included Virupaksha temple, Vittala temple, Queen’s bath, Elephant stable, Hemakuta temple, Hampi bazaar, Sule bazaar, Mahanavami Dibba, Kodandarama temple, Lakshmi Narasimha statue, Hazara Rama temple. My guide said that incase anyone wanted a detailed Hampi tour, a minimum of 7 days was required. This is mainly becuase of the fact that most sites are quite far from each other. A vehicle and a guide is a must for the tourists in Hampi.

A coracle ride on the Tungabhadra river gave a closer glimpe of the fine figures chiselled on the rocks along the banks of the river.After a lot of study on history, I headed to the Mango tree hotel for lunch. The hotel had a fabulous view of the Tungabhadra river and I enjoyed my tasty lunch with the flowing Ms.Tunga. I would reccomend this place to all the people who are headed to Hampi. I also lazed through the hampi bazaar picking up a a couple of artifacts and souviniers.

With its rocky terrain, huge rocks and broken sculptures, Hampi could well be termed as a heaven for archeologists. The excavations are still on and it seems there are lots more to be unearthed. The sculptures and carvings are so beautifully and carefully carved that it must have taken many chiselling years in the making. Staring at the lovely boulders who have been silent witnesses to the fall of the majestic Vijayanagara empire, I visualised a 16th century empire at its prime.

Great civilizations and dynasties do not have a fairy tale beginning, for they are all founded on streams of blood . While Indian folklore is rich in heroic legends , a birth of a dynasty is replete with battles fought and won .

It is the same with the Vijaynagar empire , except there are several stories here with various versions. But the location remains the same. A river bed with a fortification on one bank . This was the principality of Anegundi, ruled then by a Hoysala chieftain. When the Delhi Sultans laid siege to the Hoysalas and Kakatiyas, the latter fell, leaving South India vulnerable to their attacks. Our story begins here in the 14th century.

Sitting in a coracle and enjoying the ride around the Tungabhadra I heard a guide narrate the story of Vijaynagar to a group of tourists .”When the Delhi Sultans had invaded Warangal, two brothers called Hakka or Harihara and Bukka escaped and landed here in Anegundi,” he says , pointing to the town on the other side of the river.

The brothers who were under the Kakatiyas then started serving the local chief here . Meanwhile the chief gave refuge to Bahauddin, a rebel nephew of the Delhi Sultan , Muhammad Bin Tughlaq.

“The Sultan plundered Anegundi and the brothers escaped again, and this is when they met Vidyaranya , a seer from the Sringeri Shankaracharya Mutt who asked them to build a city on the other bank of the river .He called it Vijaynagar or the city of victory though we also call it Vidyanagar after the seer, “ the guide said. The story however does not end here. The brothers raised a small army and revolted against the Sultan, who returned the kingdom to them. The seeds of the Vijayanagar empire which went on to rule all of South India for over 350 years had just been sown.

And yet everything about Hampi is not about Vijaynagar. Gazing at the waters of the Tungabhadra, I was looking forward to going towards the Pampa Sarovar on the other side. After all, Pampa is older than Hampi or Hampe as it was called and this was the Kishkinta of Ramayana where Rama gets the support of Sugriva and Hanuman and even kills Vaali. It is no wonder that Jambhavan , the lone sloth bear in Sugriva’s army comes alive in Daroji, the sloth bear sanctuary located close to Hampi.

As dusk dawned in Vittala temple , I was lost in the silence , when a familiar voice greeted me. It was the guide and his lot of tourists. As I walked away , I could hear him say, “ This is the greatest empire of all times, people compare it with Rome , but let me tell you that Vijaynagar is even more majestic than Rome .” I thought this is probably where civilizations and empires meet – on battlefields. And yet there is a similarity in the stories – one river and two brothers…

This was featured in my column , Inside Story in the Metro Plus. For more stories of Hampi, visit my blog

The Virupaksha Temple dominates the Hampi skyline (such as it is) – it is one of the first things you spot as you cross the small Ganesha temples and turn the corner down into the steep path that leads to Hampi bazaar at a distance. Walk away from it towards Matanga hill, turn from anywhere on the road, or from the steps that lead towards Achutaraya temple on the other side, and you see the tower on the other end of the road, tall and proud or peeking out from somewhere between pillars. Ditto when you visit the small Ganesha temples.

Pic : Charukesi

Or when you climb up Hemakuta hill, dotted with fifty odd small temples, the perfect place to spend a peaceful evening. Alternatively, stay in any of the small guest-houses in the bazaar area and find yourself staring at the gopura during breakfast from the mandatory roof-top restaurant of the place, or stare at the glorious silhouette of the temple tower in the evening as the sky turns colors before the sun finally sets for the day. Everywhere you turn in Hampi, you catch a glimpse of the Virupaksha temple.

Pics : Charukesi

In a town where all temples and places built by the Vijayanagar dynasty are now in ruins, the Virupaksha temple stands in amazingly good condition. Our guide Lokesh “full name Lokabhirama but too long to confusing” tells us that the Muslim invaders who destroyed most of Hampi, spared this temple on seeing the symbol of a boar (along with a sword and something else that I cannot remember now) etched on the wall near the entrance of the temple. Think of it – the invaders couldn’t have been all that clever if all it needed to keep them at bay was a boar in stone – nor for that matter, were the architects and builders very clever – why aren’t there more stone boars in temples, I say?

Pic : Charukesi

Now guides will be guides and invaders will be invaders and all that, so I have no idea how true this story is, but whatever the reason, the Virupaksha temple has survived through the centuries. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, or Pampapati (the husband of Pampa, or the goddess Bhuvaneshwari), this temple was built sometime in the early 15th century, and further renovated in the sixteenth century by Krishnadevaraya.

Pics : Charukesi

While the temple is aesthetically a marvellous example of the architecture of those times, the highlight is a small dark room at the Western end, way behind the main tower. Here, in the mornings, you get to see an inverted image of the main gopura (tower) on a wall, as light falls through a small window. The pinhole camera concept, explains our guide, as he moves his hand in front of the small window, thus altering the size of the inverted shadow on the wall.

Pics : Charukesi

And just outside, on your way back to the main gate are monkeys drinking milk straight out of plastic milk covers and the temple elephant, who gobbles up the bananas you offer and imparts his blessings only when money changes hands. There is also the pied-piper of Virupaksha, the old man who blows this long horn and poses for your camera, all for a small fee. You exit the temple straight into Hampi bazaar, with its “recommended in Lonely Planet” restaurants and little hand carts and stalls selling everything from cheap plastic-ware to the ubiquitous “ethnic” Rajasthani handbags. Alternatively, you can turn left just outside the temple and reach the banks of the Tungabhadra, it a lovely walk by the riverside.

Pics : Charukesi

And finally, straight from the heart, why I love Hampi so much and dream of returning…

Pics : Charukesi

Think Hampi and the images that come to our mind are the ruins of the Vijaynagar empire with beautiful monuments strewn around the erstwhile capital town. On a hot sunny day, we travelled to Hampi and beyond. Our quest was not to celebrate the Hampi Utsav, but to look for the Indian Sloth Bear in “Daroji Bear Santuary”. Located in Bellary district and just 15 kms away Hampi, this wildlife sanctuary gives the town another identity besides mining and heritage.

Pic : Gowreesh K

Karnataka state government declared 5,587 acres of Bilikallu Reserve Forest as Daroji Bear Sanctuary in 1994 to protect the bear. The sloth bear population is today estimated about 120. They live in the naturally formed caves in the rocky mountains which are surrounded by dense forest.

Pic : Gowreesh K

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