Pages

Wednesday 6 February 2013

Hampi – A small place with innumerable wonders

Have you ever thought that the dramatic sites we see in the films really exist? The answer to this is ‘yes’. Really such wonderful sites do exist; I believed it when I saw and experienced those through my own eyes. At the first glance, I thought there might be some falsity in the place. The august structures, vibrant materiality and vigorous beauty will surely make you think that you are not in a real world. To the surprise of all, all these exist naturally in the village of Hampi located in the state of Karnataka.

After reading so much about the place, I was eagerly waiting to visit the place. The luxury train run by the Karnataka Tourism in association with Indian Railways also takes its guests to this incredible place. As decided, I along with my friends started our journey towards Hampi in a Saturday night. A bus journey to the places takes around 7 to 8 hours which is around 350 kilometers from the Bangalore city. Though I don’t like bus journey, we are left with no other options to reach the place at that point of time. Our bus was full with various people and I tried to sleep to limit the boredom. Early in the morning, the bus reached Hampi.

Alighting from the bus, we all have a different kind of feeling. It was like we have entered a film set. My joy knew no bounds standing in the place which I have only read. The market area is nearby the bus stop. Representing an old deserted village, the market area comprises of some shops and few eateries. Though I have visited many heritage places, Hampi is not comparable to anyone. It is totally different. We decided to do the sightseeing of the place in auto-rickshaws. The Hampi complex is quite big for simple saunter; so one needs a comfortable mode to reach and explore the places.

Giant boulders seemed to be the most prominent feature of the village of Hampi. Several years old stone structures, amazing ruins which include the finest specimen of medieval Indian architecture are spread across acres of land. The historic monuments include civil, military and religious structures. The imposing temples, the remnants of the ruined palaces, and the bustling bazaars echoed the life of Hampi. You will find lot of inscriptions on the various structures. These are the proofs that the place was built long years back and was the homeland of many Kings marked in the history. The place is full of numerous temples. As commonly understood, these temples are not exactly the places of worship. Virupaksha temple is one of temples famous among the masses.

All the structures are built with elegance at strategic points. The beautiful Lotus Mahal of the queen, the royal enclosure, the queens’ bath, the watch tower, temples, Hampi has lots to offer. We even climbed several hundred steps to reach the Hanuman temple. It really made me exhausted. Some people especially visit the temple to tie a thread in the wish tree. We also tied one each around the tree.

The hotels in Hampi are a mere surprise as their menu delivers a variety. We had a sumptuous lunch in the afternoon and a refreshing evening tea before leaving the village. To enjoy Hampi, it is not mandatory to be an enthusiast in history. If you love exploring places, it is an enough reason to visit the place with such an unbelievable setting.

Luxury train travel in India is growing day by day. Tourists travelling to India are sure to have a wonderful time amidst the rich heritage of India. Travelling to the places can be made even more comfortable on the heritage on wheels.

No comments:

Post a Comment