Hampi- The Lost Empire of Vijaynagar ( Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal)
Dec 13th, 2012, 10:22 AM
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We were in India from mid-November through early December and the weather was perfect and it was relatively uncrowded. However, we were in the northwest. I'll do some checking on temperatures to see what works best.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Dec 14th, 2012, 02:05 AM
#22
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Day 4: Hampi-------- Sunday, 18th November 2012
We were eager to see the much talked about sunrise at Hampi. We got up at 5.15, had hot tea made from our ready-made tea-bags in our electric kettle, poured boiling water in Maggie Cuppa Noodles and left hotel at 5.50 am. We put our bags in the boot, so we could check out remotely in case we took more time in sight-seeing beyond 12 noon check out time.
We were contemplating about visiting Matanga Hill or Malayvant hill for Sunrise. We finally decided to go to Malayvant Raghunath temple, 4 km from our hotel, as it doesn't involve any uphill climbing. (This proved to be a wise decision. This was as per our guide Chandru’s tip) From the main road, we took a left turn, onto a narrow uphill winding road for about half a km. to the temple. Parked outside the temple gate and went into the courtyard complex. Went through a small gate on the rear side of the temple on the hill which had huge boulders. There was only one tourist from Mumbai there with his camera. I thought this place wasn't very well known or popular as a sunrise point, mainly because it was at 7 km. from Hampi Bazaar. We reached at 6.15 and had enough time to set up the camera tripod and patiently wait for the sun to come up finally at 6.33 am from behind a distant hill. It was slowly revealing itself and the orange ball came up within minutes. We could see a flock of birds flying against the sun. This sun rise was ethereal. Clicked several photos for 30 minutes. The formations of boulders and the ranges of hills looked really amazing. I remembered volcanic formations on our Cappadocia trip in Turkey. This is undoubtedly one of the best sun-rises I have seen and will remember for life. Just magical.
This place is also important in terms of mythical history from Ramayana’s time. Hampi was known as the kingdom of “Kishkindha”, the capital of the the monkey king Vaali. This is the birth place of Lord Hanuman. It is said that lord Rama and Lakshmana , reached Hampi in search of Rama”s lost wife Sita. They struck a deal with Sugreev to help him dethrone his brother Vaali in exchange of military help from Sugreev against the Raavan, the king of Lanka. Rama killed Vali, the rebellious brother of Sugreeva, and installed Sugreeva as the undisputed king of the monkey kingdom.
Hanuman, the leader of the army, offered for help to fly to Lanka. He returned with the news that Sita was indeed in the custody of Ravana. Hanuman offered Rama the help of his monkey army to make a bridge across and attack Lanka. Rain played the spoil spot and the plan got postponed till the rains are over. Rama and Lakshmana took refuge during the rainy season at this very place on Malyavanta Hill where we were standing. The epic went on till saving Sita from Lanka and further.
We went inside the Rama temple for darshan. Outside the temple entrance on the right hand side, we could see one narrow way to a 1 storied mantapa atop a small hillock. Me and Poonam went up the narrow steps while the kids had their Maggie Noodles breakfast in the car. The way up was a bit risky, but some people who had come to see the sunrise, found a better and safer way back on the rear side of the mantapa. The view from top was good, but our earlier place was probably the best to watch sunrise in Hampi. We left that place at 8 am.
We went to and fro to hotel in search my lost sunglasses, in vein. Finally, we reached the parking lot near Hampi Bazaar Street. On the way, we took a photo stop at Hemkuta Hill to click some great rock formations and aerial view of the Bazaar street, Virupaksha mandir and surroundings.
We parked the car and did some clothes shopping for kids. The temporary shop owner Nabi showed us the photos of his earlier shop that his parents had set long back in the ancient colonnade of Hampi Bazaar. Archaeological society of India has demolished all the illegal encroachments after putting up barricades around the site and has cleaned up the long lines of shops on both sides of the bazaar street. Though I am for the conservation, I really felt bad for poor Nabi, who lost his shop and will have to buy a new one in a new designated market place.
We went to the river bank behind Virupaksh temple, to the Jetty to cross the river at 10.30 am. This road had several guys selling handicrafts, Indian drums etc. We waited for the boat for 15 min. The 3 minutes ferry for Rs. 20/- each, had only the boat owner besides us as Indian Citizen. The rest of the 15 passengers were foreigners.
Across the river, we went to O’Lala café, which served excellent variety of international breakfast. We had a cheese double Omelette, Hash brown Potato and fresh Orange Juice; merely for 90 INR. A bright open air café had a cheap hotel attached that rented basic rooms for 300 Rs. / night. All other tables were occupied by its resident young foreign backpackers. The bright and cheerful open air café was run by an equally cheerful, young Nepali cook called LuvKush. He is a graduate from Kathmandu, Nepal. After completing his education, he used to teach in a school, when the political unrest gave him only one choice between the Maoists and the ruling government. He chose to leave the country and fled to Ladakh, where he worked hard and learnt culinary skills. Now he, along with 5 of his relatives, migrates to Hampi from November to March and to Ladakh between June to September every year. The rest of the time, he spends with his family in Kathmandu. We were really touched by his story.
After coming out at 12 noon, we decided to abandon our plan of Visiting some sites like Pampa Sarovar and some temples. Climbing up 500 steps of Anjanadri hill; the birth place of Lord Hanuman, at noon was out of question. Crossing the river early in the morning to see sunrise is not possible, as the boat service starts at 8 am. If one stays in hampi for 3 or more days, it would be worthwhile to climb up at sunset for an awesome view and religious belief.
We took the boat back and drove back 11 km to Hotel malligi, Hospet and checked in at 1.30 pm. This is an excellent 3 star hotel, the best so far in our trip. We shifted for one night to Hospet, so that the kids can enjoy a nice hotel and we save half an hour of our travelling time on the next day.
We slept for 2 hours and left the hotel at 4pm to watch Hampi Sunset. We reached Hampi at 4.20 pm. Parked the car, bought coke and walked along the Bazaar street. We were late for a re-visit to the grand Vithala temple. I wanted to click photos of the stone chariot in the golden sunlight.
Exactly opposite the Virupaksha temple across the length of Bazaar street, is the big monolithic bull in a mantapa. This would be the 3rd most photographed site in Hampi after the Chariot and the giant Narasimha. We started climbing up the big granite steps of Matanga Hills, to the right of the bull, at 5 am. Half way through we lost our way and went on the wrong side, but not too far. We came back to a jain Daharamshala and asked for directions. From here inwards, the climb becomes slightly risky. The steps are broken and there are some slopes. The last 20% of the climb is extremely dangerous and has only some slots, as steps, on rounded huge boulder. If one slips from here, he will get an instant death. To add to this, there are lots of monkeys, waiting to snatch anything edible from your hands. Had there not been a local guide Shekhar on top, even climbing down in the twilight would have been a frightening experience. Out of 12 tourists, we 4 and the guide were the only Indians. We got some awesome sunset photos from Matanga hill, with the Gopuram of Virupaksha temple dominating the landscape and the Sun setting on the left hand side of the temple at 5.45 pm. The view was awesome.
We came down in next 10 minutes, escorted by efficient guide Shekhar. He is from Bijapur, the only educated person among the 5 siblings. He works as a guide during the tourist season and travels to big cities to learn different languages in off season. He already can speak Japanese, Russian, German, French and English besides 3 Indian languages. He wants to earn more money so that he can buy some more land besides the 10 acres that the family already owns. On our way back, we chatted with a young German couple, who were on a 3 months holiday to India and want to stay for another 3 months. The girl has a sabbatical from her teaching profession and the guy has left his IT job so that they can travel with her. Wasn't that exciting? Meeting various people from diverse backgrounds and each with a different view of life; is one of the most interesting things about travelling on our own.
This day was much more relaxed than the earlier 3 days. Our only agenda was to see the Sunrise and Sunset and just wander around unhurriedly. I always feel, it is that one extra day after you have seen and done all touristy things at a destination, that gives you the best insight about the place and people and makes your experience more complete and leaves a lasting impression. You can actually do the things that the locals do. I never expected that we will not miss a single sunrise and sunset. We had done that to perfection as planned.
We walked the market street till Virupaksha temple. The street had become lively with foreign and Indian tourists. We had some mouth watering Mirchi Pakoda and bought some fruits for the next day’s travel. We said good bye to Hampi and drove to our Hospet hotel at 6.45 pm.
Reached hotel by 7.15. Had an excellent dinner in the Blue restaurant at our hotel. We had some spicy starters, Sabji and rotis. Poonam preferred to stay light with a Masala Dosa. The chocolate milk shake with ice cream was yummy and at an unbelievably low price. We strolled a bit on the lawns. Kids loved the free wi-fi at the hotel. We went to sleep by 9 pm. We had decided to cut short our stay at Hampi by 1 day, as we wanted a spare day on our way back, if we felt tired. We had seen most of the places, but fell in love with the mystic place and have a wish to come back for another memorable holiday.
We were eager to see the much talked about sunrise at Hampi. We got up at 5.15, had hot tea made from our ready-made tea-bags in our electric kettle, poured boiling water in Maggie Cuppa Noodles and left hotel at 5.50 am. We put our bags in the boot, so we could check out remotely in case we took more time in sight-seeing beyond 12 noon check out time.
We were contemplating about visiting Matanga Hill or Malayvant hill for Sunrise. We finally decided to go to Malayvant Raghunath temple, 4 km from our hotel, as it doesn't involve any uphill climbing. (This proved to be a wise decision. This was as per our guide Chandru’s tip) From the main road, we took a left turn, onto a narrow uphill winding road for about half a km. to the temple. Parked outside the temple gate and went into the courtyard complex. Went through a small gate on the rear side of the temple on the hill which had huge boulders. There was only one tourist from Mumbai there with his camera. I thought this place wasn't very well known or popular as a sunrise point, mainly because it was at 7 km. from Hampi Bazaar. We reached at 6.15 and had enough time to set up the camera tripod and patiently wait for the sun to come up finally at 6.33 am from behind a distant hill. It was slowly revealing itself and the orange ball came up within minutes. We could see a flock of birds flying against the sun. This sun rise was ethereal. Clicked several photos for 30 minutes. The formations of boulders and the ranges of hills looked really amazing. I remembered volcanic formations on our Cappadocia trip in Turkey. This is undoubtedly one of the best sun-rises I have seen and will remember for life. Just magical.
This place is also important in terms of mythical history from Ramayana’s time. Hampi was known as the kingdom of “Kishkindha”, the capital of the the monkey king Vaali. This is the birth place of Lord Hanuman. It is said that lord Rama and Lakshmana , reached Hampi in search of Rama”s lost wife Sita. They struck a deal with Sugreev to help him dethrone his brother Vaali in exchange of military help from Sugreev against the Raavan, the king of Lanka. Rama killed Vali, the rebellious brother of Sugreeva, and installed Sugreeva as the undisputed king of the monkey kingdom.
Hanuman, the leader of the army, offered for help to fly to Lanka. He returned with the news that Sita was indeed in the custody of Ravana. Hanuman offered Rama the help of his monkey army to make a bridge across and attack Lanka. Rain played the spoil spot and the plan got postponed till the rains are over. Rama and Lakshmana took refuge during the rainy season at this very place on Malyavanta Hill where we were standing. The epic went on till saving Sita from Lanka and further.
We went inside the Rama temple for darshan. Outside the temple entrance on the right hand side, we could see one narrow way to a 1 storied mantapa atop a small hillock. Me and Poonam went up the narrow steps while the kids had their Maggie Noodles breakfast in the car. The way up was a bit risky, but some people who had come to see the sunrise, found a better and safer way back on the rear side of the mantapa. The view from top was good, but our earlier place was probably the best to watch sunrise in Hampi. We left that place at 8 am.
We went to and fro to hotel in search my lost sunglasses, in vein. Finally, we reached the parking lot near Hampi Bazaar Street. On the way, we took a photo stop at Hemkuta Hill to click some great rock formations and aerial view of the Bazaar street, Virupaksha mandir and surroundings.
We parked the car and did some clothes shopping for kids. The temporary shop owner Nabi showed us the photos of his earlier shop that his parents had set long back in the ancient colonnade of Hampi Bazaar. Archaeological society of India has demolished all the illegal encroachments after putting up barricades around the site and has cleaned up the long lines of shops on both sides of the bazaar street. Though I am for the conservation, I really felt bad for poor Nabi, who lost his shop and will have to buy a new one in a new designated market place.
We went to the river bank behind Virupaksh temple, to the Jetty to cross the river at 10.30 am. This road had several guys selling handicrafts, Indian drums etc. We waited for the boat for 15 min. The 3 minutes ferry for Rs. 20/- each, had only the boat owner besides us as Indian Citizen. The rest of the 15 passengers were foreigners.
Across the river, we went to O’Lala café, which served excellent variety of international breakfast. We had a cheese double Omelette, Hash brown Potato and fresh Orange Juice; merely for 90 INR. A bright open air café had a cheap hotel attached that rented basic rooms for 300 Rs. / night. All other tables were occupied by its resident young foreign backpackers. The bright and cheerful open air café was run by an equally cheerful, young Nepali cook called LuvKush. He is a graduate from Kathmandu, Nepal. After completing his education, he used to teach in a school, when the political unrest gave him only one choice between the Maoists and the ruling government. He chose to leave the country and fled to Ladakh, where he worked hard and learnt culinary skills. Now he, along with 5 of his relatives, migrates to Hampi from November to March and to Ladakh between June to September every year. The rest of the time, he spends with his family in Kathmandu. We were really touched by his story.
After coming out at 12 noon, we decided to abandon our plan of Visiting some sites like Pampa Sarovar and some temples. Climbing up 500 steps of Anjanadri hill; the birth place of Lord Hanuman, at noon was out of question. Crossing the river early in the morning to see sunrise is not possible, as the boat service starts at 8 am. If one stays in hampi for 3 or more days, it would be worthwhile to climb up at sunset for an awesome view and religious belief.
We took the boat back and drove back 11 km to Hotel malligi, Hospet and checked in at 1.30 pm. This is an excellent 3 star hotel, the best so far in our trip. We shifted for one night to Hospet, so that the kids can enjoy a nice hotel and we save half an hour of our travelling time on the next day.
We slept for 2 hours and left the hotel at 4pm to watch Hampi Sunset. We reached Hampi at 4.20 pm. Parked the car, bought coke and walked along the Bazaar street. We were late for a re-visit to the grand Vithala temple. I wanted to click photos of the stone chariot in the golden sunlight.
Exactly opposite the Virupaksha temple across the length of Bazaar street, is the big monolithic bull in a mantapa. This would be the 3rd most photographed site in Hampi after the Chariot and the giant Narasimha. We started climbing up the big granite steps of Matanga Hills, to the right of the bull, at 5 am. Half way through we lost our way and went on the wrong side, but not too far. We came back to a jain Daharamshala and asked for directions. From here inwards, the climb becomes slightly risky. The steps are broken and there are some slopes. The last 20% of the climb is extremely dangerous and has only some slots, as steps, on rounded huge boulder. If one slips from here, he will get an instant death. To add to this, there are lots of monkeys, waiting to snatch anything edible from your hands. Had there not been a local guide Shekhar on top, even climbing down in the twilight would have been a frightening experience. Out of 12 tourists, we 4 and the guide were the only Indians. We got some awesome sunset photos from Matanga hill, with the Gopuram of Virupaksha temple dominating the landscape and the Sun setting on the left hand side of the temple at 5.45 pm. The view was awesome.
We came down in next 10 minutes, escorted by efficient guide Shekhar. He is from Bijapur, the only educated person among the 5 siblings. He works as a guide during the tourist season and travels to big cities to learn different languages in off season. He already can speak Japanese, Russian, German, French and English besides 3 Indian languages. He wants to earn more money so that he can buy some more land besides the 10 acres that the family already owns. On our way back, we chatted with a young German couple, who were on a 3 months holiday to India and want to stay for another 3 months. The girl has a sabbatical from her teaching profession and the guy has left his IT job so that they can travel with her. Wasn't that exciting? Meeting various people from diverse backgrounds and each with a different view of life; is one of the most interesting things about travelling on our own.
This day was much more relaxed than the earlier 3 days. Our only agenda was to see the Sunrise and Sunset and just wander around unhurriedly. I always feel, it is that one extra day after you have seen and done all touristy things at a destination, that gives you the best insight about the place and people and makes your experience more complete and leaves a lasting impression. You can actually do the things that the locals do. I never expected that we will not miss a single sunrise and sunset. We had done that to perfection as planned.
We walked the market street till Virupaksha temple. The street had become lively with foreign and Indian tourists. We had some mouth watering Mirchi Pakoda and bought some fruits for the next day’s travel. We said good bye to Hampi and drove to our Hospet hotel at 6.45 pm.
Reached hotel by 7.15. Had an excellent dinner in the Blue restaurant at our hotel. We had some spicy starters, Sabji and rotis. Poonam preferred to stay light with a Masala Dosa. The chocolate milk shake with ice cream was yummy and at an unbelievably low price. We strolled a bit on the lawns. Kids loved the free wi-fi at the hotel. We went to sleep by 9 pm. We had decided to cut short our stay at Hampi by 1 day, as we wanted a spare day on our way back, if we felt tired. We had seen most of the places, but fell in love with the mystic place and have a wish to come back for another memorable holiday.
Dec 14th, 2012, 02:07 AM
#23
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Day 5: Hospet- Bijapur- Mumbai ______ Monday, 19th November 2012
We had a long day ahead with 700 km + of driving in about 15 hours. We had put an alarm of 5.15 and had decided to leave by 6.45 am after having a complimentary breakfast. I got up at 3.45 am with good 7 hours of sleep and requested everyone to leave by 5 am. Luckily all agreed and we left Hotel Malligi, Hospet at 5.05 am. We filled petrol tank to full and left from the petrol pump at 5.15 am. Our plan was to travel via Gadag, and onto Pune- Bangalore NH-4 highway via Hubli, Belgaum for 740 km, as this was a known road and I had travelled from Hubli/ Belgaum to Mumbai several times earlier.
We went on the NH-63 Hospet-Bijapur highway and were to take turn after 13 km for Hubli. The road till Bijapur is so good, and had a report that the road from Bijapur to Karad on decent. We thought, we could have tried a new route for us. On the spot we changed our route plan and decided to go via Bijapur. This spontaneity is what we love the most about travelling on our own at our own will and pace. Kids were asleep on the back seat. The 200 km road was excellent till Bijapur and we could cruise at 100 km+/ hour speed. There were numerous sunflower fields extending till horizon, on both sides of this highway. Very scenic. We also witnessed the last sunrise of our trip against the boulder hills en route.
We reached Bijapur at 8 am. We had decided that if we reach early we would see the famous Gol Gumbaj, the tomb of Ali Adil Shah. As we reached Bijapur, the road became narrow. We turned left and could see the gigantic building of Gol Gumbaj from a long distance. Luckily it was on our way to Karad. We stopped there for 1 hour. The entrance was free as it was a world heritage week. This one is the 2nd largest unsupported dome in the world. We had seen the largest at Santa Sophia, on our last trip to Istanbul. We hired a guide and went in, climbed 115 steps that are 1’ tall, till the top gallery on 7th floor. At 8 am, we were the only tourist there. The acoustical feature of the dome is fantastic. We could clearly hear a matchstick from a distance of 150 feet. Amazing monument of indo-Islamic architecture. We spent one hour there.
We came out, and drove 6 km on the same route to see Ibrahim Rouza. Saw the structure from outside, bought some cold drinks and water and left at 9.20 am. The 22 km road till Tikota was good and we could travel at 60 km/ hr. We took a rt turn at a Y- Junction there towards Jeth. The next 25 km road was really bad and too almost 1 hour at a speed of 30 km/ hour. Just as we were thinking if we took a wrong decision of travelling this route; the road became a bit better and then very good after crossing Maharashtra border. There were very few vehicles and we could travel at a speed between 60 and 80 km/ hr. This road was scenic. It had hundreds of gigantic Windmills by Suzlon.
After travelling for around 180 km from Bijapur; we reached Karad at 1.30pm. Had a lunch break at Hotel Trupti for 1 hour. Left Karad at 2.30pm on to NH-4. The road was good, but we encountered a lot of traffic from 60 km before Pune and slowed our speed drastically. We reached Pune Sai service CNG Pump at 5.30 pm. we had completed 12 hours of travel including 2 breaks totaling to 2.20 hours and were visibly tired by now. We used the 30 minutes time at the petrol pump to freshen up,(this petrol station has very clean toilets) had tea and left at 6 pm. We filled petrol tank to full on expressway, then took a 20 minutes halt at Khopoli and finally reached home after 695 km and 15 hours of travel. We had traveled 1650 kilometers and 1300 years in 5 Days….
Everything went perfectly as per our plan. We thanked god for that. We even had a few pleasant surprises. The time we all spent together as a family was priceless. The kids had studied hard for 2 years and had excelled in their exams beyond our expectations. We as parents also had some anxious moments and stressful schedule. This holiday was de-stressing for all of us. We fondly remembered the hard-work, the good times we had on our past family trips abroad. We had seen exotic and cultural places in more than 30 countries around the world, but realized again after this trip, that India has so much culture, religion, architecture and variety of experiences to offer to its natives and tourists, that no other country has.
When one travels, there are pleasure tours and there are experience trips that can be a bit tough. This one is one tour that roles in both the types together, without being tough. I was worried that my wife and kids may not like the early morning schedule, walks in the ruins, a dose of history and culture. Contrary to my thinking, they all loved this trip so much, that we all are already looking forward to some more road trips like this one.
Undoubtedly, this is one of the most memorable times of our life and Hampi has left an imprint on our minds and hearts.
We had a long day ahead with 700 km + of driving in about 15 hours. We had put an alarm of 5.15 and had decided to leave by 6.45 am after having a complimentary breakfast. I got up at 3.45 am with good 7 hours of sleep and requested everyone to leave by 5 am. Luckily all agreed and we left Hotel Malligi, Hospet at 5.05 am. We filled petrol tank to full and left from the petrol pump at 5.15 am. Our plan was to travel via Gadag, and onto Pune- Bangalore NH-4 highway via Hubli, Belgaum for 740 km, as this was a known road and I had travelled from Hubli/ Belgaum to Mumbai several times earlier.
We went on the NH-63 Hospet-Bijapur highway and were to take turn after 13 km for Hubli. The road till Bijapur is so good, and had a report that the road from Bijapur to Karad on decent. We thought, we could have tried a new route for us. On the spot we changed our route plan and decided to go via Bijapur. This spontaneity is what we love the most about travelling on our own at our own will and pace. Kids were asleep on the back seat. The 200 km road was excellent till Bijapur and we could cruise at 100 km+/ hour speed. There were numerous sunflower fields extending till horizon, on both sides of this highway. Very scenic. We also witnessed the last sunrise of our trip against the boulder hills en route.
We reached Bijapur at 8 am. We had decided that if we reach early we would see the famous Gol Gumbaj, the tomb of Ali Adil Shah. As we reached Bijapur, the road became narrow. We turned left and could see the gigantic building of Gol Gumbaj from a long distance. Luckily it was on our way to Karad. We stopped there for 1 hour. The entrance was free as it was a world heritage week. This one is the 2nd largest unsupported dome in the world. We had seen the largest at Santa Sophia, on our last trip to Istanbul. We hired a guide and went in, climbed 115 steps that are 1’ tall, till the top gallery on 7th floor. At 8 am, we were the only tourist there. The acoustical feature of the dome is fantastic. We could clearly hear a matchstick from a distance of 150 feet. Amazing monument of indo-Islamic architecture. We spent one hour there.
We came out, and drove 6 km on the same route to see Ibrahim Rouza. Saw the structure from outside, bought some cold drinks and water and left at 9.20 am. The 22 km road till Tikota was good and we could travel at 60 km/ hr. We took a rt turn at a Y- Junction there towards Jeth. The next 25 km road was really bad and too almost 1 hour at a speed of 30 km/ hour. Just as we were thinking if we took a wrong decision of travelling this route; the road became a bit better and then very good after crossing Maharashtra border. There were very few vehicles and we could travel at a speed between 60 and 80 km/ hr. This road was scenic. It had hundreds of gigantic Windmills by Suzlon.
After travelling for around 180 km from Bijapur; we reached Karad at 1.30pm. Had a lunch break at Hotel Trupti for 1 hour. Left Karad at 2.30pm on to NH-4. The road was good, but we encountered a lot of traffic from 60 km before Pune and slowed our speed drastically. We reached Pune Sai service CNG Pump at 5.30 pm. we had completed 12 hours of travel including 2 breaks totaling to 2.20 hours and were visibly tired by now. We used the 30 minutes time at the petrol pump to freshen up,(this petrol station has very clean toilets) had tea and left at 6 pm. We filled petrol tank to full on expressway, then took a 20 minutes halt at Khopoli and finally reached home after 695 km and 15 hours of travel. We had traveled 1650 kilometers and 1300 years in 5 Days….
Everything went perfectly as per our plan. We thanked god for that. We even had a few pleasant surprises. The time we all spent together as a family was priceless. The kids had studied hard for 2 years and had excelled in their exams beyond our expectations. We as parents also had some anxious moments and stressful schedule. This holiday was de-stressing for all of us. We fondly remembered the hard-work, the good times we had on our past family trips abroad. We had seen exotic and cultural places in more than 30 countries around the world, but realized again after this trip, that India has so much culture, religion, architecture and variety of experiences to offer to its natives and tourists, that no other country has.
When one travels, there are pleasure tours and there are experience trips that can be a bit tough. This one is one tour that roles in both the types together, without being tough. I was worried that my wife and kids may not like the early morning schedule, walks in the ruins, a dose of history and culture. Contrary to my thinking, they all loved this trip so much, that we all are already looking forward to some more road trips like this one.
Undoubtedly, this is one of the most memorable times of our life and Hampi has left an imprint on our minds and hearts.
Dec 14th, 2012, 02:31 AM
#24
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Sightseeing tips for Hampi:
Hampi is spread over 27 square kilometers and distances between 2 sites can be vast. But it can be easily covered in one day with the help of a guide. Your own vehicle is handy. Other options are auto-rickshaw for 800 Rs for about 6-7 hours or a scooter for 150 Rs per day. A guide is a must who charges 800 Rs for half a day and 1200 for full day upto sunset.
Ideally one should start as early as possible.
Hampi- Religious circuit- 9 am to 12.30 pm
Lunch – 12.30 to 2.30 pm
Royal enclave- 2.30 to 5.15 pm
Sunset point at Hemkuta Hills- 5.30 to 6.30 pm
On day 2- One can cross the river to Anegudi in the morning and see some religious sites like Pampa sarovar, some temples and a 500 steps climb to Anjanadri hill, birth place of Lord Hanuman.
Return back to Hampi in the afternoon for Lunch and sunset view.
Malyavant Hill is the best Sunrise point, where a car can reach.
Hemakunta hill, near Ganesh temple is a very good sunset point where the car can reach. The temple complex gate closes at 6 pm but the railing is cut opened at one place where one can easily come out at 6.30 after the sunset.
Matanga Hill is a good but over rated place for sunset, but it is very risky to climb the upper 50% of the hill. The last 20% of the climb is very very risky. To see the sunrise from here, one has to reach the top summit, as the sun rises on the opposite side of the hill from where you climb from Hampi bazaar. It takes almost 30 to 45 minutes to climb just the 80% of the hill. So going there for a sunrise is almost impossible. Leave immediately after the sunset, as it becomes very difficult to come back in the dark.
If one has more days at Hampi, one can explore the banks of the river along the monuments and explore hidden gems. There are 350 temples in Hampi. Tungabhadra Dam at 4 km from Hospet is a good place to visit.
PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS for HAMPI:
Missing sun rises and sunsets in Hampi is criminal.
Best Sunrise point is malyavant hill. Behind the Raghunath temple. Reachable by car. It is actually at Kamalapur on the outskirts of hampi at 6.7 km from hampi Bazar. Cross KSTDC Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneshwari and travel 2.1 km ahead towards west. The view of the hills is awesome. One can get the temple Gopuram in the silhouette in the frame with the rising sun. This spot is in between the rising sun and Hampi town. This can also be a good place for sunset. It is very easy to reach and one can easily carry and set up a tripod here.
The Giant narsimha and Ganesha near Hemkunta hills are best photographed in the early morning sun before 10 am.
For sunset, Matanga Hill is good a but risky and difficult to reach. To get the Gopram against the setting sun, one probably has to be on the small hillock next to the Giant Nandi.
Market and Nandi are best clicked after 4 pm.
The most famous icon of Hampi, the chariot at Vithala temple is best clicked in the evening between 3.30 and 5pm. It is facing the west. All the best images of it are clicked in the evening light. But after 5 pm, it gets a shadow of the temple boundary wall and only the gopuram gets the golden light.
Best season to visit Hampi- From comfort point of view, November to February is the best season But the sky is clear and flat. From photography point of view, it would be best to visit in the last week of September or early October. One gets fantastic cloud formations just when the monsoon is getting over. The river has fair amount of water. The trees are lush green. Hampi is yet to wake up to the busy tourist season. So there are fewer tourists cluttering the photo at a crucial time. If one can go there around a full moon night, it would be a treat for the photographer and to the people who would see the pics. Most of the times, the moon is visible just around or after the sunset and it is the ideal time for a slow shutter photography on tripod.
An extra wide lens is handy at sunrise and sunset points and so is a super zoom lens to click amazing rock formations against the sun.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find this information during my research on any of the websites before, the trip. I had to depend on the map study and assumed direction of sunlight.
The timings mentioned are for a period from 15th November and 20th November. The sunsets and sunrise timings may vary with season and the time of the year.
Hampi is a photographer’s delight,drenched in turbulent History that leaves you restless.
Its sheer scale is like a magnum opus sculpted in granite.
Hampi is spread over 27 square kilometers and distances between 2 sites can be vast. But it can be easily covered in one day with the help of a guide. Your own vehicle is handy. Other options are auto-rickshaw for 800 Rs for about 6-7 hours or a scooter for 150 Rs per day. A guide is a must who charges 800 Rs for half a day and 1200 for full day upto sunset.
Ideally one should start as early as possible.
Hampi- Religious circuit- 9 am to 12.30 pm
Lunch – 12.30 to 2.30 pm
Royal enclave- 2.30 to 5.15 pm
Sunset point at Hemkuta Hills- 5.30 to 6.30 pm
On day 2- One can cross the river to Anegudi in the morning and see some religious sites like Pampa sarovar, some temples and a 500 steps climb to Anjanadri hill, birth place of Lord Hanuman.
Return back to Hampi in the afternoon for Lunch and sunset view.
Malyavant Hill is the best Sunrise point, where a car can reach.
Hemakunta hill, near Ganesh temple is a very good sunset point where the car can reach. The temple complex gate closes at 6 pm but the railing is cut opened at one place where one can easily come out at 6.30 after the sunset.
Matanga Hill is a good but over rated place for sunset, but it is very risky to climb the upper 50% of the hill. The last 20% of the climb is very very risky. To see the sunrise from here, one has to reach the top summit, as the sun rises on the opposite side of the hill from where you climb from Hampi bazaar. It takes almost 30 to 45 minutes to climb just the 80% of the hill. So going there for a sunrise is almost impossible. Leave immediately after the sunset, as it becomes very difficult to come back in the dark.
If one has more days at Hampi, one can explore the banks of the river along the monuments and explore hidden gems. There are 350 temples in Hampi. Tungabhadra Dam at 4 km from Hospet is a good place to visit.
PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS for HAMPI:
Missing sun rises and sunsets in Hampi is criminal.
Best Sunrise point is malyavant hill. Behind the Raghunath temple. Reachable by car. It is actually at Kamalapur on the outskirts of hampi at 6.7 km from hampi Bazar. Cross KSTDC Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneshwari and travel 2.1 km ahead towards west. The view of the hills is awesome. One can get the temple Gopuram in the silhouette in the frame with the rising sun. This spot is in between the rising sun and Hampi town. This can also be a good place for sunset. It is very easy to reach and one can easily carry and set up a tripod here.
The Giant narsimha and Ganesha near Hemkunta hills are best photographed in the early morning sun before 10 am.
For sunset, Matanga Hill is good a but risky and difficult to reach. To get the Gopram against the setting sun, one probably has to be on the small hillock next to the Giant Nandi.
Market and Nandi are best clicked after 4 pm.
The most famous icon of Hampi, the chariot at Vithala temple is best clicked in the evening between 3.30 and 5pm. It is facing the west. All the best images of it are clicked in the evening light. But after 5 pm, it gets a shadow of the temple boundary wall and only the gopuram gets the golden light.
Best season to visit Hampi- From comfort point of view, November to February is the best season But the sky is clear and flat. From photography point of view, it would be best to visit in the last week of September or early October. One gets fantastic cloud formations just when the monsoon is getting over. The river has fair amount of water. The trees are lush green. Hampi is yet to wake up to the busy tourist season. So there are fewer tourists cluttering the photo at a crucial time. If one can go there around a full moon night, it would be a treat for the photographer and to the people who would see the pics. Most of the times, the moon is visible just around or after the sunset and it is the ideal time for a slow shutter photography on tripod.
An extra wide lens is handy at sunrise and sunset points and so is a super zoom lens to click amazing rock formations against the sun.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find this information during my research on any of the websites before, the trip. I had to depend on the map study and assumed direction of sunlight.
The timings mentioned are for a period from 15th November and 20th November. The sunsets and sunrise timings may vary with season and the time of the year.
Hampi is a photographer’s delight,drenched in turbulent History that leaves you restless.
Its sheer scale is like a magnum opus sculpted in granite.
Dec 14th, 2012, 02:55 AM
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Dec 22nd, 2012, 07:55 PM
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Thanks Indiapearl...
Thanks Rahulm.. I am glad that you loved the details...
I am sure you will love Hampi.. The scale is so big that you get overwhelmed by it... somewhat similar to what I got when I visited Ephesus, Turkey..
Thanks Rahulm.. I am glad that you loved the details...
I am sure you will love Hampi.. The scale is so big that you get overwhelmed by it... somewhat similar to what I got when I visited Ephesus, Turkey..
Jan 10th, 2018, 08:14 AM
#29
I know that this has been topped by an advertiser but I for one am grateful for that but I am more grateful to you, Paragkash, for taking the time to write and post this wonderful trip report. I am thinking about a trip to southern India and have come across mention of Hampi, but nothing that brings it to life like this.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Jan 11th, 2018, 12:39 PM
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Thank you for your informative report. My DH and I were fortunate to be able to travel there several years ago and we loved the short time spent in Hampi. We had considered the visit to Badami as well, but with limited time, passed on it. The rock formations and temples were beautiful and we were lucky enough to catch the most extraordinary sunset we have ever experienced. I was sorry to have missed out on the sunrise, but due to my husband’s knee problems we had opted to forgo going on the other side of the river. While a trip to Hampi is well worthwhile, I do not think it will ever see the tourism that the Taj Majal gets as the difficulty in getting to Hampi makes it less appealing to most tourists.
We traveled by overnight train from Mumbai to Goa and had a driver pick us up from the train station for the long drive to Hampi/Hospet. To us, the trip there was well worthwhile. I hope after others read your report, they too will be inspired to travel there.
In addition to traveling to Hampi, i would strongly recommend a trip further south to the Tamil Nadu region of India.
We traveled by overnight train from Mumbai to Goa and had a driver pick us up from the train station for the long drive to Hampi/Hospet. To us, the trip there was well worthwhile. I hope after others read your report, they too will be inspired to travel there.
In addition to traveling to Hampi, i would strongly recommend a trip further south to the Tamil Nadu region of India.
Jun 23rd, 2019, 02:18 AM
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I know that this has been topped by an advertiser but I for one am grateful for that but I am more grateful to you, Paragkash, for taking the time to write and post this wonderful trip report. I am thinking about a trip to southern India and have come across mention of Hampi, but nothing that brings it to life like this.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I hope you had a great trip. Whenever I read my report again, there is an urge to visit Hampi again. I had not seen the comments for a long long time.
Jun 26th, 2019, 10:16 AM
#32
Sadly Paragkash I have yet to get to India, though I am seriously thinking about next Feb/March. And thank you again for mentioning Hampi as it had dropped off my radar rather until this lovely TR of yours popped up again. .
I hope all is well with you and your family.
I hope all is well with you and your family.
Dec 20th, 2019, 05:22 PM
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It is a great report, but having visited Hampi last year, I can say we thought it was a very large, but poorly managed site. The heat in March/April is unbearable and the monuments are far apart, dilapidated and often in dirty surroundings. It was definitely a waste of our time.
Dec 22nd, 2019, 07:20 PM
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Hampi is historically rich!
I was in Hampi two years ago and the ruins are just so magnificent and so are some of the temples. The staff was a little rude but the inanimate objects were wonderful. I would def recommend it!
