In the cold and hostile December of 2020, there is nowhere to run, but hide. Ask me why and I would tell you that 5 degrees on the terrace of my house Jammu is in extreme contrast to the pleasant, windy and warm gorge of Gandikota in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh. But if you are anywhere nearby, come out of your dens.
283-286km from namma Bengaluru, across the boundaries of Karnataka lies the Grand Canyon of India (where you won’t get lost). Before I tell you top 5 reasons to visit Gandikota, promise me you won’t litter and travel responsibly.
5 reasons to drive to Gandikota
Steering my kayak while fiddling with my phone: yes I dared to do that 😛Step down from the land into the Penna river
1. It’s only a stone’s throw away
We booked a tempo traveller and reached in around 6-7 hours. Vast, open barren land welcomes you. You see the horizon splits into the sky and the earth.
You can take a detour and stop by Leepakshi temple (the one with hanging pillar) for a 2 hours or so.
Note: Contact Rohit for Tempo traveller – 9916204079 Note: Avoid bike ride, it’s exhausting (as heard from friends).
2. Stay in a tent on the edge of the cliff
Your tent is on the edge of the rocks, your campfire dancing to the cold breeze under open sky. Sing, dance, have booze and jump off the cliff into the gorge. Or simply enjoy the star-studded sky with a not-so-quiet neighborhood. Unzip your tent to the most magnificent view of the gorge, the Gandikota gorge at the Penna river, slowing going about its way into the dam far ahead.
Morning view from my tent
Note: Haritha resort, 5-min drive (don’t try to walk the distance, it’s far) to the campsite stay, offers (expensive) stay and basic (expensive) food. You can freshen up there and use the common (of course messy by the time you get there) washroom. Not for budget travellers, good stay for families.
3. Plunge into Penna River
They do not know how deep the lake is 😛kayak ride is a must do at Gandikota
It is so easy to get attached to places, people and things that eventually it becomes difficult to cope with the inevitable parting.
I hadn’t laughed so much in the past few weeks as I had in those two days in Hampi. It is wonderful how the right combination of people and place can make the world seem nothing but perfect.
The Train to Hampi
The 10 pm Hampi Express was patiently waiting at the platform of Majestic Railway Station, Bangalore when we reached. Vendors roamed around clumsily. Paunched men and few saree-clad women had already set up the berths for the night.
The nearly-empty platform was relieved of the last bit of the daily commotion as our train slowly chugged out.
By 8 am, the next day, the boulder mountains marked the beginning of the city of Hospet. As I peeked out of the open door of the rushing train, the wind hit me with a welcoming warmth. I immediately knew it was going to be a fantastic weekend trip.
Virupaksha temple as seen from the Jolly Side
We took an auto from Hospet Junction to Hampi, which cost us around 200 Indian Rupees per auto. After dodging the dust and traffic on the bumpy roads for almost 30 minutes, the ancient city came into view.
A small lane laid with sandstone led us to the banks of the river Tungabhadra, that streams behind the famous Virupaksha temple. We descended the stairs to reach the bank from where a small motorboat took us to the other side of the river.
The locals identify Hampi as two regions. The river bank where the Virupaksha temple and a whole lot of other architectural ruins stand is called the holy side. The other side or the ‘hippy island’, where most people spend time relaxing and loitering, is popularly called the jolly side.
This was explained by our lively and cheerful auto driver, Mr Ranjith, whose auto got featured in the Marathi movie named Hampi in which the character of the auto driver was inspired by him!
You can contact him at +91-8762024986 ( humpibumpi on Instagram) and rest assured that you will have a jolly time at Hampi.
Stay At Hampi
On the jolly side, right opposite a small boulder mountain and across the unnaturally green paddy fields stood a group of shacks called Bobby ‘One Love’ Guest House. It opened to a restaurant with floor seatings at the entrance followed by a passageway under the canopy of tall trees. On either side stood tiny coloured huts with a thatched roof, which looked more like doll houses.
Our home in Hampi
Our basic single room huts came with netted beds, attached bathrooms. A floor-seater restaurant catered to both Indians and outsiders. Hanging light bulbs discreetly hidden behind colourful shades reminded me of Goa. The only thing I missed was the sea and clearly, Hampi made up for that.
1. Adventures at Sanapur Lake
We hired a two-wheeler and visited the first place on the jolly side is Sanapur Lake.
Coracle Ride: nothing will give you more peace than riding in the coracle boat, across the Tungabhadra river. Pay a bit extra and the boat owner will take you to the safe swimming spot, which is on the other side of the lake.
Braving the waters of Tungabhadra to reach that slippery rock was my ‘Stunt of the Day’ at Hampi
Cliff Jumping: for those of you who know swimming pretty well, plunge into the reptile-infested river from a nearby cliff for a rejuvenating break from life! Just kidding. No crocodiles in Tungabhadra.
2. Stunning Sunset at Hanuman Temple, Kishkinda
View from Anjaneya hill
Sunset at Hampi is mystical and enchanting no matter where you witness it from. However, if you are on the jolly side, watching it from the Anjaneya hill is a treat to the eyes.
Occupy this spot at Anjaneya hill before the monkeys do to get the best sunset pictures!
The holy site is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Hanuman, the ardent devotee of Lord Ram and one of the central characters in the scripture of the Ramayana. We climbed a total of 575 steps. Our cameras came out every time we stopped to look at the beautiful landscapes across the boulder land. After visiting the temple, we found the most comfortable rock to rest on and enjoy the setting sun.
Such gripping sunset views that you almost think that the cameramen and-women would slip off the cliff while capturing them
We all know some of us as kids thought this was a rocket
3. The Unrivalled Beauty of Ruins
And, how can you go back without visiting the ancient ruins! Hampi’s rich history reflects in the awe-striking architectural structures that are scattered across its landscape.
Virupaksha Temple
Don’t forget to check out this cool flowchart of the Saluva Dynasty at Virupaksha Temple
This massive 15th-century temple remains functional since its consecration. The temple courtyard is where Lakshmi blesses people with its trunk when offered a 10 Rupees note yes—she is the living goddess there. Langurs lurk around looking for a quick snatch meal. Bats still hang from the ceiling wall within the dark inner sanctum.
Lakshmi, the elephant – Isn’t she a beauty!
The crowd at Virupaksha didn’t deter us from watching the inverted image of the Gopuram. It was difficult capturing it though.
This time though it was special. I saw the inverted, surreal shadow of the temple Gopuram cast upon the inner walls of the temple chamber—the architectural amazement is an evidence of the scientific understanding of the people of that time.
Our auto zoomed up to the top of the Hemkunta hills and dropped us right outside the compound of the Narasimha and the Shivalinga. The monolithic stone sculpture and one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the Narasimha is a half-lion and half-man.
Adjacent to it, quarterly immersed in the water is the Badavilinga temple—a 3-metres long, monolithic Shivalinga. The temple priest was an old man bent double with age and ailment, yet staunchly dedicated to taking care of the sanctum.
Zenana Enclosure and Elephant’s Stable
We arrived at Zenana enclosure, thirsty and tired. Note: Don’t forget to carry water bottles and caps with you.
This is where you halt to catch your breath after a long excursion. The shade in the well-maintained gardens of Zenana Enclosure was a relief from the scorching sun.
A fortified place for the Queens of the Vijayanagar empire held many beautiful stone structures that were damaged by the Mughals attackers. The ruins can still be seen. Out of those, Lotus Mahal stands as the sole attraction, that takes us back in time.
There was a will, there wasn’t a way – to the top of this watchtower
I had this urge to climb up one of the dilapidated watchtowers and I stayed out of the enclosure in search of the doorway, towards a pile of rubble. Before I could find one, a local lady appeared out of nowhere and asked me to not venture out of the enclosure. Reluctantly, I abided by her stringent warnings.
Elephant Stables
The Elephant Stable is a fun place to be, maybe not for the elephants then. A vast ground spread before the multiple chambers that you could run across like somebody gifted you ‘freedom’!
The Royal Enclosure
Ever wondered how a king would feel looking at his gigantic kingdom? Climb up the steps of the architectures of the Royal Enclosure and discover for yourself!
The remnants of the vast Royal complex, spread over 59,000 square metres, included Bukka’s aqueduct (towards the extreme left). It was an advanced network of stone pipes that connected various wells and ponds across the empire.
Intricate moulding on the Mahanavami Dibba (6 meters high) depict everyday lives of the people of Vijayanagar
The stepped tank at the Royal Enclosure
Don’t miss out the underground tunnels and chambers present in the Royal Complex where, it is believed, the king held the most crucial discussions with his trusted aids.
Imagine the time and effort it would have taken to carve and mould these granite stones!
Vitthala Temple
The Vittala temple is the most ornate and the most visited architectural monuments at Hampi. It will take you close to an hour to completely absorb the essence of this place. It is here that you will find the famous Chariot temple and various Mantapas that boast of Vijayanagara’s architectural excellence.
The Ranga Mantapa constitutes 56 musical pillars that emanate sounds attributed to the ‘SaReGaMa’ musical notes when tapped gently — although doing that is prohibited due to the damage it caused to the pillars.
This tiny town embraces the silence of the night. There is nothing like witnessing a quiet, moonlit countryside.
The boulders stood before us like sentries and I couldn’t stop admiring the stillness that engulfed them. On a new moon day, the night sky is lit with stars that you can’t resist looking at unless other indulgences keep you busy.
5. Ginger Honey Tea and Bhajji
Out of the umpteen options on the menu of Bobby Guesthouse we got addicted to their Ginger Honey tea that got us completely inebriated with its taste and tanginess—a must try at the guesthouse. Additionally, when you are in Hampi, don’t forget to eat bhajji from the local stalls near Virupaksha temple.
For our gang of five, an overindulgence in ginger honey tea and a hearty laugh over UNO (the card game) made our day at Hampi.
GALLERY
Make a face, but always listen to your photographers
Lunger 1 to Langur 2, “Did anybody see Mr Nandi? He was right here!”
Nobody would have enjoyed the day looking at the Tungabhadra the way he did.
The skeleton of the ancient city of Hampi expands over a vast area—as far as the eyes can see.
Walking the passages cut through the dangerous crevices between huge boulders, we were now heading towards the banks of the Tungabhadra river.
Though October to March is considered the best time to visit Hampi, the winter sun of December continued to shine mercilessly on us.
The scorching heat and the dust make a nasty combination of sweat and dirt on your skin. However, if you are with friends, don’t worry, you all will appear equally tanned and covered in the red sand.
Keep your gear ready with these essentials—2 bottles of water per person, a cap/hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, a good pair of shoes, some snacks.
We had rented cycles, from the locals—they had set up a small corner, renting two-wheeler on a small lease amount, for the whole day. The cycles did help us on the long stretches of roads linking different stone monuments.
The cycles were hired at rupees 150 per person after some bargaining.
Cycling is the most convenient way to discover places in Hampi though you won’t be able to reach all of them by dragging a bicycle along with you. Walking on foot is your second option, but could be tiring and time-consuming if you want to explore the entire Hampi.
Alternatively, hire a bike or taxi. You would still have to walk or trek to see a few places that are on the hilltop.
Things changed quickly. It wasn’t a pleasant experience walking over a massive stretch of rock and carrying our cycles instead of riding them. We parked them in a corner with the hope that nobody would steal them and continued on foot from there.
The labyrinth through the gigantic boulders somehow opened into a stretch of a rock base that descended into the Tungabhadra river.
Tungabhadra River, Hampi  Picture Credits: Akshayrajsinh Jadeja
Laying our feet in the refreshing and cool water on the slippery and rocky banks of the river, I released a breath of relief. The calm breeze that rushed closer to the water along its rugged banks welcomed me in its territorial land.
Coracle ride along the banks to ferry you across the river
There was an upturned coracle (a huge circular boat, which has a framework of bamboo sticks, reeds, and plastic sheets)—waiting for its passengers to be ferried to the other side of the river.
The charges for the coracle ride was 500 Indian Rupees per person.
We rejuvenated ourselves with a hot cup of sugary tea in small tea-shop built under the shades of a vast tree.
After regaining our strengths, we braved the sun to watch the ruins of Hampi, which is scattered over an enormous stretch of the land, belonging to the capital city of the Vijayanagar Empire.
King’s Balance, source: wikimedia.org
We crossed the famous King’s Balance—of what remained only two gigantic 15-foot tall pillars. The balance was weighed with gold, silver, rubies and all precious things equal to the weight of the king who would sit on the other end of the balance. This was distributed among the priests and the people of the kingdom.
Vitthala Temple
One of the entrance gates at Vitthalla temple
A closer look at the art
Vitthalla Temple Compound
Our next stop was the majestic compound of the Vitthalla temple that was surrounded by stone walls on the four sides. We covered a little over a kilometre on foot.
Temples supported by stone pillars embellished with beautiful carvings. Below, these abandoned temples probably held a sculpture of Gods and Goddesses, which are nowhere to be seen now.
On our way, we saw lifeless ruins covered with dust and vegetation cropping from the unattended corners and gaps of the structures that seemed to be the places of worship in ancient times.
When we reached the remains of the Vitthalla compound, the area was brimming with people while the architecture lulled us to the huge entrance gate.
We couldn’t take our eyes off the remarkable brick and stonework that offered a glimpse of the life of people who would have at one time lived peacefully under the roof of these ancient structures.
The Stone Chariot
Vitthalla temple holds in its compound one the most iconic piece of Indian stone art—the Stone Chariot. It may look like a monolithic structure—cut out of a single piece of rock. However, Stone Chariot has been built using blocks of granite rock placed over one another with such dexterity and skill that the structure attracts attention in a single glance.
The Stone Chariot is an imitation of the Konark Sun Temple in Orissa that inspired Vijaynagar’s famous king Krishnadevaraya to build a similar structure in his empire.
The 16th century stone architecture hosted Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu—but the sculpture is nowhere to be seen today. The chariot rests on a granite base, about 1 foot above the ground with life-size wheels and axle carved out of the rock to perfection.
Picture Credits: Akshayrajsinh Jadeja
Architectural structures have innumerable stories depicted on its walls—the chariot temple and other structures in the Vitthalla temple compound have scenes of war engraved on their walls.
The stone elephant sculptures in the front of the temple that seemed to be pulling the chariot were built to replace broken horse sculptures that stood there before—their remains can still be seen.
There is a stone ladder in between them, which was used by the temple priests to reach the sanctum for offering prayers to the Garuda.
The Stone Chariot
It is believed by the people of Hampi that if the chariot is moved from its place, the world will come to an end. We can just hope that the stone structure stands remains intact and static as a remnant of the ancient Hampi.
There are various stone structures around the chariot in the same compound of Vitthalla temple—it may take you around an hour to have a look at each of them.
If you wish to know the stories associated with each of these structures and want to go into the depths of the time, you can easily hire guides to show you the place along—these are official tourist guides and have ample knowledge about the magnificent history of the place.
We have reached the end of this ancient world, next to the Vitthalla temple compound
From here, you could either retreat or move ahead to the remains of the Queens’s Palace, where you could relax and enjoy the evening sun. And how could we miss mentioning the Archaeology Museum, the treasure holds the collection of old photographs of Hampi and valuable remnants from the past.
Between Places and Time 