Land of a lost Dynasty- HAMPI

Hello folks,

 

 

          Welcome to my first post. I am not going to waste your time in introduction, lets jump into topic. So, today I'll be talking about my 4 days solo trip to the land of an mighty dynasty, HAMPI which is also considered as the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

      Hampi is a small village in state of Karnataka, in which the ruins of Vijayanagar empire still stands fighting with all odds of nature. Hampi was capital of Vijayanagar at the era of Krishnadevaraya (1500 BC). From the scripts of many foreign travelers of that time, we can imagine the charm and the glory it had. Total area of that place is almost 41 Sq. Kilometer situated on the bank of mighty Tungabhadra river. The place is a granted charm of ancient breathtaking sculptures and historical monuments.

 

       Today, I'll share my journey with you, what I've seen and experienced along with I'll try to provide a detailed guide to Hampi.

 

I'll divide my whole Journey into some parts viz,

 

0. Best season to visit.

1. How to reach Hampi.

2. Where to stay, cheap of course

3. Which places to visit and how to visit
4. A Local map of Hampi

 

 

0. Best Season to visit Hampi:

 

        The place is much dry and hot. In summer the temperature may rise upto 38 degree Celsius. The best time to visit Hampi would be in winter, that is October to February (may be March). If I am to advice, try to reach Hampi in early November and you might get chance to witness the great Hampi Utsav.

 

 

1. How to Reach Hampi:

 

There are four means of transportation, they are

 

• Take a Govt. Bus from Bangalore, It will cost you 200-250 bucks and almost like 5 hours.
• Take a private Sleeper bus from Bangalore, It will cost you almost 1500-2000 bucks. One thing I must include is that the Govt. buses to Hampi won't be available at night.
• Train , yes. Book your ticket to Hospet (HPT), nearest railway station of Hampi.
• Rest is Hitch-hiking and self drive. For folks who are interested in Hitch-hiking let me tell you there are alot of lorries and trucks, you need to be patient and you will definitely find your ride.

 

Now, as you've reached Hampi, let's find a place to stay.

 

 

2. Where to Stay:

 

Before I begin, I'll add one thing that you may find enough hotels and resorts, however if you're travelling in peak season, that is October to February it may get difficult to get room or you might make a prior reservation.

 

The options you have,

• Hotels near Hospet Railway station: Near railway station you might get nice hotels in affordable price. From railway station to Hampi is almost 15 KM. Bus service will be available from morning 8 to evening 9.30. KSRTC bus-stop is near by, so it won't be a problem to find a bus.
• You can come a little bit ahead towards Hampi from Hospet and the place is called Kamlapur. The place is super cheap and peoples are really friendly. In Kamlapur you me check the Hampi Musium.
• There are alot of resorts, however they might charge you a bit more.

 

 

3. Places to Visit:

 

 

If I make the list, it may cover my whole blog. There were thousands of temples in that small area that even I could not cover. I'll try to jot down some places that worth a visit.

 

One thing before I keep on going, try to rent a bicycle or electric bike. Mark my words, it will save at-least 2000 bucks. There are some places where you can't take car, in that case bikes or bicycle is awesome.

 

The places are,

 

• Anjana Parvat: Lord Hanuman was born here. Heads up, ready to climb 575 stairs.

• Pampa sarovar: On the way to Anjana Parvat.
• Kaali Mandir and Naga caves: On the way to Anjana Parvat. Don't miss the amazing Banyan tree.

• Bhimas Gate: The Mighty lamp post which used to en-light the whole place.

All these places are little far from Hampi, the place is called Anegundi, an ancient village. The village itself worth a visit.

• Queens Bath
• Chandrashekhar Temple, Saraswati temple along and Octagonal Bath.

These places are together, like some half miles apart. You can take a walk and visit.

Now coming to Marvelous architecture,

• Vitthala Tample: The mighty Stone Chariot.

• Kings Balance
• Warriors temple

The places below are near by each other.

• The Royal Encloser
• Mahanavami Dibba: The secret chamber in which kind used to held all his secret meetings.
• Hazararama Temple: The granite stone sculptures. 

• Lotus Mahal, Elephant Stable, Ranga Tample.

• Underground Shiva Mandir

Now coming to the cultural and mythical place,

• Lakshmi Narasimha Temple

• Shashivekalu Ganesha
• Kadlekalu Ganesha, Krishna Temple, Hemakuta Temple
• Virupaksha Temple: The most important one. Shocking fact is no one knows who made this temple and when. This temple was inaugurated alot of times however no one knows its age. The cultural freshness is splendid. 

You may also visit the Museum. The collection of statue, writings in copper slab and amazing collection of hundreds of years old sculptures are incredible.

( Sorry guys, inside the museum photography is not allowed.)



Don't miss out the dam on the river Tungabhadra. Try to reach there in evening, you might be witness the musical water fountain.

4. Local Map:

I am including the map that I have and I do advice you to keep a personal copy while you are traveling. It might cost you 5/10 bucks however it is a life savior if you are travelling alone.

My solo hiking in Hampi was amazing. It feels exactly like you are living in a STORY OF A KING.
That's all folks.