Visiting Hampi was at the forefront of my mind for the last several years. Even though not exactly too far away, Hampi is practically unknown to most Keralites. So, when a tour to Karnataka was planned, Hampi was the natural choice of destination. To make it more enjoyable to the kids in our midst who wouldn’t be too enthusiastic to revise their history lessons while on vacation, we decided to put in two days in Bengaluru city and Wonder la. We boarded the Yeshwantpur Exp at 9.30 pm from Aluva station on Dec 15, 2010.
Day 1: Dec 16, 2010
The day broke with an overcast sky and a slight drizzle. The taxi travel from Yeshwantpura to Majestic where we intended to stay was unbearably slow with traffic jams. It took 20 minutes for the car to even venture outside the railway station premises! We stayed at Hotel Mayura at 16, Tank Bund Road as it was a budget hotel without any claim to any extra frills.
Our lunch was an unpleasant endeavour at Kamat Café (not Kamat hotel, which is of the same management). Carelessness was the master at this poorly frequented restaurant. There was a dead insect in one of the plates and the casual manner in which the management took it shows this is nothing new to them. The food was unsavoury and we were ‘fed up’ with this restaurant.
We went straight to Vishweshwaraiah Museum of Science and Technology. Any trip to Bengaluru, particularly with kids, wouldn’t be complete without a trip to this shrine of science and technology and one of the best in the country. Mokshagundam Vishweshwaraiah was a notable engineer, scholar and statesman of India. He had received the Bharat Ratna in 1955 and every year, 15 September is celebrated as Engineers’ Day in India in his memory. The museum was setup in 1962 by the central government. Spread over four floors, it displays hundreds of scientific showpieces, most of them with working models. It took 4 hours for us to have even a cursory glance of all the exhibits. One full day won’t be enough for the serious student here. Another ‘sweet’ remembrance associated with the museum is the sweet guava mixed with masala which can be had from the entrance for just Rs. 10! We munched them to our hearts’ content.
A quick visit to Lal Bagh was the only thing possible in the waning day. This park is the botanical garden in Bengaluru and was commissioned by Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore in 1760, but his son, Tipu Sultan completed it and now occupies 240 acres of land. There is a watch tower on a central hillock built by Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bengaluru in the 16th century, which provides a superb skyline view of the city. The gneiss (a form of granite) on which the tower is built would’ve been the same in the times of Gowda five centuries before, but the skyline obviously would’ve been different.
Day 2: Dec 17, 2010
We hired an Innova to travel to Wonder la in the morning and return by the evening. The nightmarish travel through the traffic clogged city streets is nothing to cherish. It took almost 90 minutes to cover the 30-odd km to Bidadi on Mysore road. This is an amusement park promoted by the Kerala-based V-Guard Group. It is the second theme park of the management after Veegaland near Kochi and has been operational since October 2005. It has 53 dry and wet rides. It is delight for children of all ages, including some grey-haired ones! However, as compared to Veegaland, the dry rides are a little too violent and the wet ones a little too cold. Even though the water is claimed to be kept at 28 deg C, the assurance was felt more on paper. It was very cold sometimes and the heater booths provided some relief. We had to leave the park at 4.30 pm as we had a train to catch at 9 pm.
After vacating the hotel and a having a quick dinner, we were ready to go to City Railway station. Even though the hotel was diametrically opposite to the station with the Kempe Gowda bus station in the middle, the auto drivers demanded exorbitant sums to reach the station. So we hired one auto rickshaw to carry all the luggage and the rest of us walked across the bus stand. Due to the heavy traffic block, the rickshaw came ten minutes later than we arrived. It was almost time and we literally ran into the Hampi Express which departed on time.
Day 3: Dec 18, 2010
The train dropped us at Hospet at 7.15 am, half-an-hour late. We took auto rickshaws to travel the 13-km to Hampi. Since we’d already arranged with our hosts in Hampi despatch these vehicles, the rate was already fixed at Rs. 120. Whenever you intend to board these vehicles, always bargain with the driver in advance, otherwise the experience would be very unsavoury.
 |
| Northern Tower of Achyutaraya Temple |
Half-an-hour later, we occupied our designated rooms at Padma Guest House in Hampi. There are no hotels in Hampi and these homestays labelled guest houses are the only alternate option. After having a quick breakfast, we explored the Sacred centre in Hampi. A walk along the Bazar towards the east brought us to the Monolithic Bull, which is a monolithic statue of Nandi, the mount of Lord Shiva. The statue is symbolically placed as to face the Virupaksha temple, where the deity is Lord Shiva. The heap of gigantic boulders in the backdrop provide good photo opportunities. A trekking path across an outcrop of Matanga hill brought us to Achyuta Raya’s temple built by King Achyutadeva Raya, brother and successor of Krishnadeva Raya in 1539. Though it was designed on similar lines to nearby Vittala temple, it won’t bear comparison with that superb building. There were only a very few tourists there at that time, all of them foreigners so we had the temple to ourselves. The cloister-like verandah running all around the inner courtyard with its carved pillars provide breathtaking background for pictures. We walked along the Courtesans’ street (Soolai Bazar) which was the red-light area in the 16th century accommodating 16,000 sex workers as described by Portuguese merchants! There is a Pushkarini (pond) on the left used as a bathing pool by the dancing girls. The street led us to Varaha temple at the other end.
We continued the trek east and reached the Purandaradasa Mandapa. Purandaradasa was one of the most prominent composers of Carnatic music and is widely regarded as the ‘father of Carnatic music’. He signed his compositions with the pen name of ‘Purandara Vittala’ and about 1000 of his songs are still extant. Purandara Dasa traveled extensively through the length and breadth of the Vijayanagara empire in the middle of the 16th century, composing and rendering soul stirring songs in praise of god. The Purandaradasa Mandapa is a small open pillared pavilion on the banks of the Tungabhadra which was teeming with tourists.
 |
| Stone Chariot at Vittala Temple |
Just after 1 pm, we reached the Vittala temple which was our destination, and is at the pinnacle of Vijayanagara architectural beauty. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu in the form of Vittala or Vithoba. The temple construction was begun by Krishnadeva Raya in 1513 but was never finished nor consecrated and historians think that the work was stopped in 1565 by the sacking of the city. Tradition, however says another story that it was built specially for the famous image of Vittala at Pandharpur in Maharashtra, but that the god, having come to look at it, refused to move, saying that it was too grand for him and that he preferred his own humbler home! In front of the main temple is the stone chariot of the god which was believed to be monolithic, but is an illusion, owing to the supremely fine joints between the stone pieces. The stone wheels once turned freely, but years of turning has badly damaged the axles so that it is now stationary. This stone chariot is sometimes considered as the symbol of Hampi. We trekked back to our rooms by 3.30 pm and rested for two hours as all of us were very tired by then as the walk in the terrible sun had sapped our strengths.
 |
| Coracle ferry on the Tungabhadra River |
At 5.45 pm, we moved to Hemakuta hill which offered a panoramic view of Hampi village, though not as magnificently as from Matanga hill. The sun had already set and the dilapidated stone monuments looked surrealistic in the crimson afterglow. A visit to Virupaksha temple ended the day for us. This temple is still in use and there is an entry fee of Rs. 2 for tourists, as the locals seem to be unaware of such a fee. A hefty camera fee of Rs. 50 was displayed, but since the counter was already closed, we entered without a ticket and was not stopped by anybody. A circuit through the inner courtyard completed the visit. After dinner, we peacefully retired to our rooms.
Day 4: Dec 19, 2010
 |
| Sunrise over Matanga Hill |
Since we hadn’t visited Matanga hill which is the highest point around Hampi which offers a panoramic view of this idyllic village due to lack of time for sunset, it was decided to climb it in the early morning to see the sunrise. But the climb was reported to be too steep to undertake in the poor early morning light, we settled with the Hemakuta hill nearby Virupaksha temple. The sunrise was beautiful and picturesque, but nowhere near as enchanting as we saw in pictures of it taken over the Matanga hill. Also, there is a disgusting side to an early morning walk on the Hemakuta hill. The villagers, both men and women use this hill as an open-air latrine and it would be better not to go too near the boulders. An awareness campaign must be promoted by the local governing body to put an end to this nauseating practice. Just think of a UNESCO world heritage site at which human excreta is to be found at the foot of every boulder on a prominent hillock!
We hired autorickshaws for the whole day and went to the Royal enclosures beginning at Queen’s Bath. This is a square building in the Indo-Islamic style of architecture and on the outside, it is a particularly plain and uninteresting structure surrounded by a narrow moat. In the centre of the building is a small tank, or swimming bath.
 |
| Mahanavami Dibba |
A short walk brought us to Mahanavami Dibba inside the Royal Enclosure which was called the ‘House of Victory’ because it was built by Krishnadeva Raya on his return from his victorious campaign against the King of Orissa in 1513. There are a considerable number of these stone platforms or basements of buildings among the ruins in the citadel most of which are not identified accurately. There are two stairways to the top of the Dibba, decorated with carvings of elephants, horses and a host of other things on both sides. A finely constructed stepped tank stands on the side of the platform, which is kept in fine condition by the authorities. A public bath is situated on the extreme edge of the enclosure.
There is an underground chamber on the northern side of the Dibba. Originally, this chamber might have been an underground shrine provided with a procession path around the deity. This is approached from the ground above by a narrow passage. Cleaning works were going on during our visit and we couldn’t enter inside. A little to the north of this structure is the large platform known as King’s Audience Chamber. It is the largest basement of a building among the ruins inside the enclosure. It was originally a very large and many-pillared durbar hall with one or more storeys above it. It was burnt down in 1565 by the devastating army of Muslim sultans in the Deccan.
 |
| Black stone pillar at Hazara Ram Temple |
Just outside the Royal enclosure is the Hazara Rama temple. It was a private place of worship of the kings. It was also begun by Krishnadeva Raya in 1513. It was dedicated to Lord Shriram and the bas-reliefs on the walls and pillars of the shrine depict incidents from the Ramayana. There are four particularly beautiful and highly polished black stone pillars inside the central hall. The shrine chamber which once housed the magnificent idols of Ram is now empty, silently crying out the barbaric pillage which took place in 1565 when the city was sacked. Those who visit Hampi cannot leave but with a regret which rises from the heart at the ruthlessly devastating carnage the invaders had carried out in this magnificent city.
 |
| Lotus Mahal |
Walking to the Zenana enclosure, we bought tickets for entering it. There is a modest fee of Rs. 10 for Indian citizens and Rs. 250 for foreigners. Why the foreigners are fleeced in such a way for entering a UNESCO world heritage site is difficult to understand. In the centre of the enclosure is the ruined basement of the Queen’s Palace. There are two quaint watch towers on the north and south sides of the enclosure wall. The finest building, which still exists intact is the Lotus Mahal in the centre of the enclosure. The Elephant Stables are situated just outside the Zenana enclosure on the eastern side. Archeologists differ in opinion about the true use of this building due to the absence of iron rings or bars to chain the state elephants. It was already 1.30 pm and we returned to Hampi Bazar for lunch. On the way some other ruins were glanced upon, but since time was in short supply, they couldn’t be explored in detail.
 |
| Sunset at Tungabhadra Dam Reservoir |
At 4.30 pm, we vacated the Padma Guest House, bidding farewell to Hampi for the time being and went to the Tungabhadra Dam and Gardens, which is the largest dam in Karnataka is located about 5 km from Hospet and 18 km from Hampi. The dam has 33 spillway gates and all these gates will be opened on August 15, to mark India’s independence and will be a splendid sight. The sunset on the top of the dam is a breathtaking sight. For security reasons, visitors are not permitted on the dam. You can view the reservoir and sunset from a small garden near the dam. A good garden at the foot of the dam is a nice place to spend some leisurely moments. We left the garden at 6.30 pm and went to Hospet railway station to catch the Hampi Express back to Bengaluru. There was heavy rush of tourists on the platform and the train came half-an-hour late.
Day 5: Dec 20, 2010
A full day on train! We alighted at Bangalore Cantonment and boarded the Intercity Exp to Ernakulam just in time as the Hampi was late by 45 minutes. At the end of a hot day, we alighted at Aluva at 5 pm.
Travel
We travelled mainly on trains which generally ran on time. The maximum late running was of 45 minutes, which didn’t upset our schedules. Local sight seeing was on taxis and autorickshaws. We hired a Qualis for Rs. 1400 and an Innova for Rs. 1600 for eight hours in Bengaluru. A full day sight seeing in Hampi along with a trip to Tungabhadra dam and Hospet railway station was charged at Rs. 500 for an auto rickshaw which we suspect to be on the higher side. The figure was arrived at after hectic bargaining which started at Rs. 700. We met a very helpful and cooperative auto driver at Hampi named Raghavendra. Though by nature prone to bargain with a large amount, once the rates are finalised, full cooperation was extended unlike some really roguish auto drivers in Kerala. His mobile number is +91-9483422485 and he is willing to extend a helping hand to anyone who calls him.
Accommodation
Stay in Mayura Hotel was a bit unsatisfactory. Being a budget hotel, the facilities are rather limited with the condition of the bathrooms leaving much to be desired. Hot water is only available for 2 hours in the morning. We are not sure whether we’d stay here again in future.
Padma Guest House in Hampi was a real cheat. Charging Rs. 1200 for a mediocre room with erratic hot water supply is simple day-light robbery, but seems to be the norm in the so called guest houses in Hampi. There were no furniture in the room except the bed and the TV stand. You have to sit on the floor to write something. There is no telephone in the room and most importantly, the bathroom window is removed in most of the rooms so that anybody on the corridor can have a peep inside. When we complained about this to the Mr. Sagar, son of the proprietrix, he very graciously provided a blanket to cover the window! Privacy is not an issue which bothers the owners of Padma Guest House. Hot water was freely available when you didn’t need it like noon and early afternoon, but was impossible to get in mornings and evenings. Again we complained to the owners who promised to deliver us one bucketful of hot water in our room in 10 minutes, which never came. Moreover, if foreigners are staying in other rooms, there is little chance that your needs will be addressed. He even advised not to make much noise as there are foreigners at other rooms. Paying the same amount as the others and still treated as second-class customers is not an easy thought to stay with. It is better to avoid this ugly place and we won’t be staying here in the future.
Food
As noted earlier, it is better to avoid Kamat Café (not Kamat Hotel, which was good) in Bengaluru.
There is a nice little eating spot in Hampi. No restaurant is worth its name in Hampi, but Pallavi Hotel in Bazar just opposite to the iron gate which leads to bus stand is an excellent place to have food. Reasonably priced and very tasty, this family-run business of Mr. Shivaiah is a place we’d recommend. The name of the hotel, unfortunately, is painted only in Kannada. There is a peculiar thing to note about all the hotels in Hampi. There is no such thing as a wash-basin anywhere. They’ll provide you a mug full of water for washing your hands and mouth which you’ve to do facing the main road. There is no other way.
It is better not to select week-ends for exploring Hampi, as the place will be literally swarmed with school children of all ages during these days. It is nice to watch these little kids rampaging and roaming about the place, but your precious photo opportunity will be spoiled!
Books
If you are serious about visting Hampi and understand her monuments, it is worthwhile to come prepared with some background knowledge of the Vijayanagar empire, its architecture and the ruins. The following are some good books on the subject.
1. The Forgotten Empire - Robert Sewell (The first book on Vijayanagar, published in 1900)
2. Vijayanagara - Burton Stein (Reviewed in Sapientia Semita)
3. Hampi Ruins - A H Longhurst (This is a must have, Reviewed in Sapientia Semita)
4. Court Life Under the Vijayanagar Rulers (Reviewed in Sapientia Semita)
