Hampi:Photos,World Heritage Site,Reviews

Hampi is where stone speaks a thousand words.It's huge,it's grand and one visit to Hampi isn't sufficient to cover them all.

May be a stay of 5 days is required but we chose to split our journey over two fantastic weekends.Once we went by our own car driving down the green highways from Bangalore,and next time we took a train.In the gap of a year,lot has changed.We,can say that the Hampi we see today misses the vibrancy of local Hampi market which used to be,just outside the complex.Sadly,the markets are demolished,leaving a few scattered boulders and an open empty road. 

 "The jaws of urbanization did not even flinch before devouring a 153-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site in Hampi recently. Have you been to Hampi before?I expressed my opinion in Deccan Chronicle,you can too express your opinions right here on my comment box."Do you think Hampi should be demolished in the name of urbanization?"  

When I got a call from Deccan Chronicle on what I feel about the same.I was shocked,how could I miss the difference.Its only when I traced back to my pictures,I regained the excuse which I had then and that was "May be the market is closed today" but then few more pictures and I saw the change.The markets are left to ruins.Sadly,it was one of those places from where I used to buy Hampi handcrafted belts and they were cheap like Rs 50,Rs 100 and matched so well with my any dress or jeans,adding a tinge of Indianness.

It was like Hampi's own flea,how could I forget the small restaurants spread across the area,taking shelters in boulders and now they are no more.

Hampi=Unesco World Heritage Site

1)Hampi is a village in north Karnataka,India.

2)Hampi is located within the ruins of Vijayanagara,the former capital of the Vijayanagra Empire.

3)Hampi continues to be an important religious center, housing the Virupaksha Temple, as well as several other monuments belonging to the old city.

4)The ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi

5)Hampi is also famous for bouldering,and locals do cliff jumping as well but the sport hasn't evolved the way rishikesh has.

6)Hampi is very affordable place,a stay would cost you around 300,taking a bike or cycling whole day would cost you 100-150,buses from Hospet to Hampi costs 20 Rupees and food is cheap too.So all in all a great vacation without pinching your pockets

7)For those who aren't so religious as us,Hampi still has lots to see.Its the visual beauty of the place that would make you feel like you are in another world or may be the child in you would jump over the boulders like we did.You would love to climb on rocks stand out on any one of them and the whole Hampi town would be beneath you.

Hampi In Movies

Jack Lee bids goodbye to Samantha and leaves Hampi, Karnataka, after having gotten the sword.Guess what I am talking about,the not so popular movie Myth starring Mallika Sherawat;which has many shots from the world's heritage site Hampi. Popular with the foreigners and now gaining popularity with the Indians,we visited the magnificence of Vijayanagara last year and last to last year.

Bangalore to Hampi By Road

       

  Bus from the Mughal Era or Vijayanagara Empire?No..this is the bus from Hospet to Hampi worth Rs 20.

Distance from Bangalore: 364 kms,7 hours approx.

Starting out small with my blog,around 1 year 10 months back,we used to take on road journeys from Bangalore every weekend.Been to places like Hogennekal,Mysore,Mangalore,Manipal,Sakleshpur,Coorg and basically everywhere around,even Pondicherry. Interestingly this part of the world is different.It is more of those small hills passing by,boulder rocks,fields,greenery and broad roads which welcome us when we leave Bangalore.Unlike Delhi where the road journeys are very stagnant if around,highways in Bangalore provides diversity.Even the small diverted routes,Imagine driving in western ghats with small waterfalls pouring in from everywhere and rivers following you.

 Yes,the beauty of travelling by road near Bangalore 

is a mystery.Sometimes there are rivers and waterfalls(western ghats) to Mangalore or Manipal or Sakleshpur;

or flowers and small hillocks(to hampi)

Hampi: How to get there

Air

Bangalore based air-charter operator, Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Ltd (TAAL), has launched sightseeing charter flights to Hampi and Mysore in Oct 2002. Contact Anjan Rao at +91-98440-27699 for further details.

The nearest airstrip at Tornagallu in Sandur Taluk which is 32 kms. from Hospet.
The second nearest airport is Bellary (74 kms)

Other convenient airports are at Belgaum (190 kms) and Bangalore (353 kms).

Rail

Hospet is the nearest railway station (13 kms). Hospet is linked by rail to Bangalore, Bijapur, Hubli and Guntakal. Book your train ticket online .

Road

Hampi is 364 kms from Bangalore. Buses ply regularly from Hospet and from Bangalore to Hampi.

Best time to visit,Hampi: October to March

In next blog post I take you through in and out of Hampi,where to stay,where to eat,Adventure Sports in Hampi,video on Hampi and what to do,and basically what we did to inspire you follow the same route.

If you have been to Hampi,why not contribute valuable suggestions,It'll be all consolidated in next post I promise :)