Family holidays are fun. Admit it. This time for a change my mom, cousin and aunt decided “Hampi”
Hampi is a world heritage site in Karnataka, India and takes 8 hours from Bangalore by an overnight bus. Hampi is a landscape with fascinating history in each corner, ruined temples and palaces. Known as the “City of ruins”, Hampi did not ring a bell for many travelers till the past some years. But of late, this culturally rich village has become a favorite pick amongst many.
We stayed at the Evolve Back Hampi which is a property inspired by the glorious days of the 14th century Vijayanagara Empire and is located just 4 km from the world heritage site.
Now, I’ll get started with the list of places to visit in Hampi.
- Virupaksha Temple
Virupaksha Temple, one of the oldest structures in the area is believed to have been built in the 7th century and dedicated to Lord Shiva. The main shrine is dedicated to Lord Virupaksha referred to as Pampapathi, an incarnation of Lord Shiva and is approximately 50m high.
I will recommend you to visit the Temple by 9 in the morning where you can see the morning aarti and the elephant walking towards the river for her daily bath.
2. Queens Bath
This is the first ruined structure you would see when you enter into the royal center will be the queens bath. It is a plane rectangular building, but when you get inside the story is different. This building is open to the sky and used to serve as a bath for the king and his wives. The structure is surrounded by a moat on all sides probably intended to prevent people from entering the area when the royals were busy bathing.
3. Lotus Mahal and Elephants stable
The next one is the Lotus Mahal which is one of the few structures that has escaped destruction. This place was used for recreational evenings by the ladies and has a classic fusion of Hindu and Islamic style architecture.
Right behind the Lotus Mahal are the elephant stables. They are not ordinary structures, but massive ones with domes on them. As evident, the royal elephants were housed there.
4. Coracle ride at Tungabadhra
We rode a coracle on the calm waters of Tungabhadra in front of the Kodandarama temple and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Sitting and crossing a deep river on a bamboo boat can be scary. But our helmsman was an expert. He asked us to arrange ourselves so that the weight was equally distributed. Throughout the 30 minutes ride, you will notice number of rock-cut temples on your sides and its a pretty site to see.
5. Vitthala Temple
The Vijaya Vitthala temple is where the famous carved stone chariot is. Built in the 16th century, it’s known for its architecture and craftsmanship. The temple has 56 musical pillars. The musical notes can be heard when the pillars are gently tapped.
And there you have it, all the best things to do in Hampi.