[itspatra]

Towards the end of last year my father (who is in the banking sector) was expecting a 2 week mandatory leave. This leave is mandated but the exact period is a surprise. He came to know about this on a Sunday morning and planned a trip to his hometown and a 2-day trip to Hampi. Looking up hotel prices and availability the cheapest decent option was for Tuesday-Wednesday and I planned the places to visit here. I have always wanted to visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site since my childhood and Hampi being the closest was the perfect spot.

Day 1

We left around 8:00 AM from Bangalore and headed north via the Bangalore-Mumbai Highway. I had pre-booked the Hampi Trip Tickets in the morning and this helped later on as not all the places in Hampi has a ticket counter. I would recommend you to do the same. The cost is 35 per person per day.

Windmill

Windmills near Chitradurga

My mother had packed us breakfast and lunch for the trip. We had our breakfast in the car itself, exchanging drivers. Being a weekday the roads were empty. This helped us reach Hosapete in a little over 4 Hours. The road till there are well paved and dotted on both sides by giant windmills. In Hosapete and Hampi many of the walls are freshly painted by G20 Logos and Welcome signs. Visiting it in the weekdays gives a sense of calm, away from the hustle and bustle of the tourists flocking for photos.

Hampi Archeological Museum, Kamalapura

Our first stop was the Hampi Archeological Museum in Kamalapura. I also recommend the same as a way to familarise yourself with the entire city and places to visit. There were beautifully preserved, well lit artifacts in Air Conditioned rooms. The toilets and other amenities are also excellent here.

Museum Hampi Model Map Video

Museum Exhibits

We spent a good 30 mins here. It was forecasted to be cloudy for a couple of days and the weather was not too hot. We looked for a good spot on the road between Hampi and Hosapete and stopped over under a Banyan Tree to have our lunch. I clicked a quick picture of the Sonet here.



You can picture Hampi's layout as a Zoo. Basically there is a enclosed large area where you cannot just enter from any side. You are allowed entry and exit via road or pedestrian access at specified points. You are supposed to complete a circle or "circuit" to see all the places. Car Parking is available only at a few central locations, other places you simply have to walk. If you don't prefer walking you can rent bicycles. In my opinion this is the best way to explore Hampi as walking can be long and time consuming. If I did'nt have my parents with me I would probably park my Vehicle at a central location and take this option. Other options include two-wheelers, autos, e-rickshaws. If you want a guide , they are available at the entry points of Hampi. If you have your own vehicle they just accompany you in your vehicle.

Hazara Raama Temple

Our next place of interest is the Hazara Rama temple named so to signify the Thousand Ram carving on its walls. The walls of this temple in the perimeter as well as the inner temple depicts intricate carvings of Maharishi Valmiki's Epic "Ramayan". You will lose yourself appreciating the story depicted in stone frame by frame. No active god or puja takes place here at this time, but it was believed to be the private temple of the kings of the Vijayanagar Empire. The temple is surrounded by well maintained lawns. There is plenty of parking here, but the road leading up to here is unpaved and has a particularly short section where only one vehicle can go through at a time as stone walls are present on two sides.

Hazara Raama Temple

Mahaanavami Dibba and Pushkarani Kola (Step Well)



This complex is near the Hazara Raama Temple and you can easily walk here. The main attractions are the Underground Secret Chamber, Mahaanavami Dibba and Pushkarani Kola (Step Well). The secret chamber is considered a place where war plans were chalked out in secret. The entrance is steep and very dark. Please turn on your flashlights while entering this. The chamber roof is low and has wall pillars sticking out. I unfortunately did'nt know this and banged my head here . Not too serious.

The Pushkarani Kola is a black stone step well where the king bathe. You can see stone canals which channel water to the well. You are not allowed to go inside, but can click pictures from above.

Step Well

The Mahaanavami Dibba is the tallest structure in this area and would stand out. This was constructed to view the Navarathri celebrations similar to how it is celebrated in Mysore. The top part has pillars which are cut away as it could potentially be unstable and unsafe. The main staircase is a straight flight of star up. There is also a staircase at the rear of the stage which exits behind the Mahaanavami and stoops down a level and comes out at the front.

[itspatra]

Mahanavami Dibba

A interesting item we spotted here is that there are remanets of how stone was cut in the bygone era. A quick google search revealed this.

The builders of Vijayanagara were dependant on granite -- the raw material for most types of monumental construction at the site – which was abundant in and around the city. Traditionally, granite blocks were split by first cutting rows of closely spaced cubical holes into which wooden wedges were pounded. When wetted, the wedges expanded, thereby propagating deep cracks through the stone. Such quarrying techniques as well as association constructional features have been observed by Ben Marsh in an unfinished temple on a hill slope above Achyutaraya bazaar.

Queen's Bathhouse



The Queen's Bathhouse is about 200 meters from the previous location. Here too there is parking available. This place has beautiful lawns and gardens next too it. This is the royal bathplace for the queen's of the Vijayanagar Empire. If you walk around the walls, you will notice that the windows here is higher than usual to prevent eavesdropping by guards. The place has inlet and outlet stone pipes and is sufficiently deep as a swimming pool. A guide here was stating that rose's and jasmine would be mixed in the water for better fragrance. Imagine yourself submerging yourself here early in the morning with fresh flowers showered on top. The golden hours sun was reflecting of the stone and the place shined in its glow.

Here We noticed a bus full of foreign tourists come in and explore the place. Striking up a conversation with a few revealed that they were from the UK and in there 60s - 70s. They were having there retirement trip of a life. They mentioned that many of their friends had visited India before, but only north India and recommended visiting. They were here for a trip for 3 months and had already visited most of the better known places in the north like Rajasthan, Agra, Delhi etc. They also watched the India vs New Zealand Semi finals in Wankhede Stadium and loved the energy. I bid them the very best for rest of the trip.

https://youtu.be/qiyJZpaDVf4

https://youtube.com/watch?v=/Nal05vBIq7k

Underground Shiva Temple

Dashcam Hampi

I have attached the Dashcam video of the drive here. The first monument on the right is the Underground Shiva Temple. Also notice the well maintained lawns on the side and the ruins of the city.

This temple is a fascinating one. It had remained underground for hundreds of years till about 1980s. You can clearly see it is below the level of land. PS - A tip for your trip here. You can typically tell which monuments were underground from the colour and state of the stones. The stones which are recently uncovered ie in the past 100-50 years look very clean and new. The stones above a certain level look very weathered. I will show this later in this post in Day 2. Where was I, yes the Shiva Temple. It is very fascinating that this temple remained submerged in water throughout the year, even with no rain for months. It is believed that there is a underground connection with the Tungabhadra River which maintains this level. The roof of this temple is at par with the surrounding ground level. Definitely worth a visit.



Anjanadri Hill, Kishkindha

Heading over to the other side of the river we reached the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. He was born to the Vayu Raja in the empire of Kishkindha. Visiting during the evening time is recommended as you can watch the sunset from here. The climb up is of 575 steps and most of it is sheltered. Many monkeys call this place home and you will encounter them. This place has a mention in the Ramayana as the place where Bali and Sugreev ruled over their monkey kingdom. It is also the place where Bali was trapped by his brother mistaking the blood as the death of his brother. There is also the spot where they supposedly battled it out and Lord Ram shot his arrow killing Bali. This was the staging area for Lord Ram and Lakshman amassing his army of monkey and bears. This has some factual accuracy too. Located close to here is the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary which is where Jambavan was from. I find this very fascinating as there is continuity in the story.

Kishkindha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV0wQAvQQFE

Stay for the Night

As we planned this a couple of days ago and we looked for hotel just one day before the trip we couldn't really find too many options. Samarth Residency was one of the ones which popped up for single room three membered stays with breakfast. The stay is affordable. It has a restaurant downstairs and is good enough. The rooms were also average and nothing to write home about. Its just gives for what you paid. The bathrooms are clean. The only downside maybe the parking. Only about 5-6 cars can park here. Thankfully we got a spot to park for the night. Attaching a picture of the rooms for reference (This was taken while checking out and NOT how we received it, I just forgot to take the photo while checking in )

[itspatra]

Day 2

Virupaksha Temple, Hampi



This is one of the flagship destinations of Hampi. It is by far the most crowded and visited place in Hampi. Here you will find plenty of parking and usual shops selling food, mementos, maps, etc. The tourist Police station in Hampi is also located nearby. The temple has a tall gopuram greeting vistors. You need to remove your footwear as this is one of the only temples where prayers and pujas are regularly performed. The fees for footwear is 5 per pair. You will find a lot of foreigners here. I bumped into a young bloke from UK who I had interacted the previous day in Anjanadri Hill. He too was glad to meet me and opened up more. We talked about a few topics such as how the Brexit is affecting life, how is India till now, what god signifies what in Hinduism among others.





Photograhy was'nt allowed inside so no pictures from inside. It is said if you are lucky you will find the Temple Elephant Lakshmi inside the temple. We could'nt find it inside but luckily we caught it having a bath in the nearby river. People often offer fruits to her and seek her blessings. There is also a temple pond in the complex. You will find various god and goddess temples.







Hampi Bazaar

The main bazaar street of Hampi is located directly facing the temple and is flanked by the Monolith Nandi Bull on one side and the Virupaksha Temple on the other. You can see ASI staff still carrying out excavations and restorations work. Imagine the streets filled with vendors and selling stuff in these long corridors. Some two storey structures remain but most have fell down.







There is a photo gallery next to the police station in Hampi Bazaar Street and it is a great place to check out some of the first photographs of how it was discovered by the British.

Shri Achyutaraaya Swamy Temple



We next walked up the hill to the Achyutaraaya Swamy Temple. The Achyuta Raya temple was built during the rule of Achyuta Deva Raya, who was one of the emperors of the Vijayanagara Empire. I have attached a video of the walk back from there to Hampi Bazaar to judge the distance (Watch near the end as the gopuram comes in view). You will find stone cutting techniques placed here. Notice the clear weathering of stones as a line. (You can easily guess what part of the gopuram was below the soil and what part above)

Walk to Hampi Bazaar

https://youtube.com/watch?v=tencgxPJXxc?feature=share

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9sn_kpHjCNM?feature=share

[itspatra]

Shri Lakshmi Narasimha Temple and Shree Badavilinga Gudi

This is the largest Shiv Lingam in the world and has bars in place to prevent people from touching the Lingam. The adjacent Lakshmi Narasimha is also a great art piece. Here too you will find plenty of parking.





Shree Vijaya Vitthala Temple




The road leading to the temple



One of the flagship tourist spots in Hampi. The famous stone chariot which is featured in the 50 Rupee note is present here. You will find plenty of parking here. You have to park your vehicle here and either take a electric rickshaw to the temple or walk about a km. All the drivers are female. A ticket counter is present here to buy tickets. We had booked it online in the morning so so no need to stand in the queue. I would recommend you to do the same. Entering the temple complex you will find the Maha Mantapa on the left.

Hampi

https://youtu.be/S3S8pu8hjGM

https://youtu.be/jnBo1E0urqE

Next to it is the Ranga Mantapa or the famous hollow musical pillars. This is a feat of engineering where each of the pillars when struck produces a note. It is made out of a single piece of resonant stone. However due to the recent spike in tourists who want to make Viral Videos/Reels the chamber is closed for public use. People used to take it up as a challenge to play the entire musical spectrum here damaging the pillars .

Musical Pillar

Notice the weathering of stone



Next we visited the Stone Chariot, being a week day it was quite empty and I managed to click a few pictures in isolation.


The famous Chariot

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ihl2sHC7h8c

I attached a video of the entire ride back to give an idea of the distance

Ride back

[itspatra]

Zanana Enclosure



This is one of the few places where Indo-Islamic style of architecture is seen. You will find parking here near the museum. The ticket counter available here has clean washrooms and you can freshen up here. This place was our last stop in Hampi and definitely worth it. Upon entering you will see watch towers on the corners of the enclosure. You will find the treasury on the left , which now houses a museum. Imagine the wealth's that was stored here as the Vijayanagar Empire was the richest.





Lotus Mahal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyYYiK6Js34

The main attraction of the Zenana Enclosure is the Lotus Mahal. It is located in the south-eastern corner of the enclosure. It is one of the most famous structures in Hampi and one of the very few structures that have been left undamaged by the Mughal attackers. You are not allowed to climb inside the structure but you can click pictures. The lawns are well maintained. There are multiple chairs under trees where you can just chill and appreciate the architecture. You can also just sit down in the grass and have a great time lying down looking up to the trees.

Elephant Stables and Gaurds House





This is the Stables for the Royal Elephants of the Vijayanagar Army. 11 Enclosures are present . The guard house is present nearby which housed the Royal guards.

Lunch Spot



This is probably the best restaurant in Hampi and Hosapete. It is located in a prime location on the Main Hosapete Road. The atmosphere here is amazing with good lighting. The service staff is very prompt and helpful. We ordered the Chicken Schezwan, Paneer Tikka, Chicken Punjabi, Steam Rice, Rumali Roti and Salt Lassi. The rice was long grain Basmati and very good. The roti was also soft. Sorry I don't have any pictures to share as I was too busy eating here . The price is also reasonable for the food quantity and taste.

Tungbhadra Dam And Garden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t34LoYL3M-o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMXn0AAXiNo

We visited this at the end our trip to Hampi. There is parking available at the entrance, but the distance to the top, from where the reservoir is visible is around 1 km. There is bus service between the parking and top, but due to being a weekday the bus service was not active at that time, so we walked to there.


We stopped over around 2 hours later for a driver change and we were basically home.

Thanks for stopping by and reading this.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[shrinz.vivek]

Very well written. I dont need a guide when I visit hampi next time. I will just keep a print out of your write up.

Did you miss Kampa-Bhupa maarga or did you intentionally leave it out as it has lot of walking? According to me, Chakra Tirtha and Purandara Dasara Mantapa are magical places. Specially on a calm weekday, one would want to stay there forever.

Another equally magical place in Navabrindavana. It is located on a small island in the middle of the river and can be accessed only via a coracle ride. But please note that this is a typical orthodox brahmin temple and requires you to be dressed acordingly.

[PreludeSH]

Thanks for the photos and explanation. You didnt mention the pin hole in the main temple. I remembered this where you see the inverted image of main gopura and a similar aligning hole arrangement in Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple in Bengaluru where on a particular day of the year the rays align and fall on the Idol.

Recently I also read about the huge amount of science and instruments used in Ayodhya temple to focus a ray of light on Rama's forehead Maybe in Ayodhya its done so that it happens everyday.

[Animesh]

Originally Posted by itspatra

I had pre-booked the Hampi Trip Tickets in the morning and this helped later on as not all the places in Hampi has a ticket counter. I would recommend you to do the same. The cost is 35 per person per day.

Can you share the link from where you bought these tickets please?

[itspatra]

Originally Posted by shrinz.vivek

Did you miss Kampa-Bhupa maarga or did you intentionally leave it out as it has lot of walking? According to me, Chakra Tirtha and Purandara Dasara Mantapa are magical places.

Thanks for your kind words. Yes I did leave these out due to time crunch. If we had stayed for another night I would love to visit these locations too. We just wanted to see the flagship locations/landmarks in Hampi for the 2 day trip.

Originally Posted by Animesh

Can you share the link from where you bought these tickets please?

ASI SITE
Here you go

Originally Posted by PreludeSH

Recently I also read about the huge amount of science and instruments used in Ayodhya temple to focus a ray of light on Rama's forehead Maybe in Ayodhya its done so that it happens everyday.

I did'nt know of this phenomenon in Hampi. Thanks for letting me know. Also about the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Tilak, it is sopposed to happen every Ram Navami

The Ram temple has a Surya Tilak mechanism --Sun's rays illuminate Lord Ram's idol's forehead for approximately 6 minutes at noon on Navami day each year.

Hindustan Times News Article

[megazoid]

nice thread. Since i was a recent visitor to Hampi, it brings back those wonderful memories. You have consolidated the places well and the photographs are quite nice. Thanks for putting this together so well. Keep writing!

[A_Basu]

Thank you for the writing this travelogue; it's undoubtedly the best piece I've read on Hampi anywhere. Like someone else remarked earlier in this thread, I'll just take a printout to refer to when I visit Hampi.

[rajathv8]

I was contemplating a trip to Hampi and this thread came at the right time.
The information is systematically logged and easy to follow - felt like I had a mini visit

How was the weather? Were the afternoons manageable?
How did you manage food during the day visits - are there sufficient lunch options in the vicinity?

[anirudh_85]

That's a very well compiled travelogue. I must commend you for it. Hampi is definitely on my list of 'drive to' places, hopefully I get to go there soon.

[Innysta]

Car Parking is available only at a few central locations - can you share the google map locations? It will be helpful for fellow travellers. By the by, very well drafted travelogue and can be a self-service guide for one and all. Thanks for sharing.