Hampi - A Journey towards Ancient India

Hampi - A Journey towards Ancient India

Hampi was in my bucket list since a long time ago, I don't know why I waited so long to visit this place though the experience was super amazing. 

Hampi use to be the capital of Vijaynagara Empire in the 14th century. Hampi is also known as the lost city considering the defeat of Vijaynagara empire. 

The army of sultanate destroyed the city into ruins, which can still be found. 

The Journey

Though 2 days are sufficient to explore Hampi with a tight schedule but i will strongly recommend you to spare minimum of 3 days to explore this panoramic destination. 

Hampi is divided into 2 parts, one is heritage side (popular for temples and pilgrimage) while other is located on opposite side of the Tungabhadra river (popular for Lord Hanumanji's birth place and pleasent Cafe's) 

The Travel Guide

You need an entire day to explore the Heritage side of the Hampi which starts from The Virupaksha (Main) Temple till The Vijaya Vittala Temple, this circuit comprise of 19+ different heritage temples/sites.

Tip- It isn't advised to cover this circuit by foot, you may opt to rent a Bicycle, Scooty or hire a Auto (Tuk-Tuk) for full day sight seeing. 

Though prices may vary but you may expect to pay around INR 150/- day to rent a bicycle, followed by INR 400/- day to rent a scooty while Auto driver may demand upto INR 1000/- to cover all the sites. 

Once you are done with the sight seeing you may spend the rest of the evening in Hampi Bazar followed by a mesmerizing Sunset at Matanaga hill.

Matanga hill is highly recommended and a must visit place to experience the bird's eye view of the entire place. 

Note- Kindly ensure to wear comfortable clothes and hiking shoes, though the distance isn't much while the intensity of the trek is moderate due to unstructured rock surface. 

The other side of the town

Post exploring the heritage side of the city, you are all set to explore the other side of Tungabhadra river. As already mentioned above the topmost attraction is Lord Hanumanji's birth place, followed by Durga temple and Lakshmi temple while you may spend rest of the evening at Sanapur lake or Sunset Point located at Hippie island. 

Note- Scooter rented from the heritage side is not allowed on parralal side of the river, hence you are required to rent a separate Scoter or hire a Auto on parralal side of the river, while the charges remains the same.

Also be advised that boat to cross the river is operational from 7am till 5pm.

How to reach

Train - Nearest railway station is Hosapete Junction which is 13 kms. from Hampi. 

Bus - Hampi's bus stand is well connected with almost all major South Indian cities. 

Air - Hampi doesn't have it's own airport while the nearest Airport is located in Hubli which is 148 kms. from Hampi. 

When to Visit

Weather is usually hot throughout the year, while November till January are the most pleasent month's to explore Hampi.


What else to expect

Hampi doesn't have adequate ATM's while majority of vendors deal in cash, hence it's recommend to carry sufficient cash before you reach Hampi. 

Food - There are plenty of options, prices are relatively economical as compared to the other parts of the country, I would personally recommend to experience South Indian cuisine from small authentic restaurants.











Comments

  1. strikersDecember 30, 2022 at 11:35 PM

    Fantastic write up.Though I visited this place 15 years back... exploring from your lense refreshed my memories...a must visit for every art enthusiast

    ReplyDelete

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