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Current day Hampi in central Karnataka state is a small, slightly dusty village heavily dependent upon tourism. But ancient Hampi was very different. In 1336 Prince Harihararaya chose Hampi as the site for his new capital Vijayanagar which grew over the next two centuries into a city of 500,000 and one of the largest Hindu empires in Indian history. Beautiful temples and royal buildings were constructed against the backdrop of Hampi’s surreal boulder-strewn countryside, the product of volcanic activity and subsequent weathering over the eons. While the empire is long gone, the world heritage listed Hampi ancient ruins still contain a considerable number of structures in good condition, some adorned with fine stone sculptures.
We arrived in Hampi on an overnight train from Mysore via Bangalore, and after checking into a well-shaded guesthouse with good paddy-field views, and waiting for the midday sun to pass, we stocked up on water and headed for the nearby boulder country. The climb up the first line of boulders overlooking Hampi looked easy but there were many thorny bushes and briars to negotiate while watching our step to avoid falling or inconveniencing any resident cobras. Our efforts were rewarded with excellent views of the more distant boulder country, and the setting sun.
On Saturday we toured the ancient ruins, the two main components of which are the sacred centre and the royal centre. The highlight of the former is the 16th century Vittala Temple containing fine stone sculptures, and in the courtyard a fabulous ornate stone chariot whose wheels once turned. At the royal centre the most impressive buildings were the Lotus Mahal pavilion believed to have been the Queen’s recreational mansion, the Queen’s Bath, and the Elephant Stables, a long building consisting of 11 domed compartments used to house the State Elephants. Along the way we stopped to see the Two Sisters, two giant boulders leaning against each other and formed, according to legend, when the gods overheard two sisters whispering derogatory comments about Hampi and turned them into stone.
Unlike the two sisters we have nothing bad to say about Hampi (although the gods might possibly consider backing off the temperature a few degrees C – say 25 if that’s not asking too much). The combination of the surreal boulder-strewn landscape and the fascinating ruins, particularly that wonderful temple chariot, make Hampi a great place to explore for a few days.
When it came time to leave, we took an auto-rickshaw to nearby Hospet Junction, Hampi’s transport hub. On the way, on learning that we were Australians, the driver was eager to give his opinions of the Australian cricketers. “Michael Hussey – wonderful batsman.” “Adam Gilchrist – excellent wicket keeper” “Ricky Ponting – great captain but a criminal mind.” Why, I asked? “Very bad sportsmanship” came the reply, backed up with a long list of Ricky’s moral failures on the field. And with moral failure coming into view, the driver thought of one more Aussie. “Shane Warne – fantastic bowler but very bad man.”
I thought I’d put a more positive spin on the conversation so I pitched in with “And you have Sachin Tendulkar”. This was almost a fatal mistake. The rickshaw swerved violently, nearly ending the lives of two roadside goats. The mere mention of the name Tendulkar instantly transported the man into a state of near religious ecstasy as he gesticulated and gushed accolades on India’s beloved Sachin. “Best batsman in the world” - “Wizard” - “Great man” - “God of Cricket” - “We love him” etc etc. He was just as pleased that a foreigner was acknowledging the greatness of Sachin and he insisted on giving us his number, saying that the next time any of our friends or relatives come to Hampi, he will transport them around for free. As we alighted from his conveyance we thanked him for his kindness and wished the Indian cricket team great glories for the future, then boarded an overnight bus whose appearance was so shockingly different from the photograph displayed in the ticket vendor’s office that it would have made a wonderful case study on truth in advertising.
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