Hampi is one of the most known tourist attractions, and this time we decided to dive into the historic world of Hampi. This can be a guide to those who love random adventures, as we had no prior bookings or a planned itinerary for the whole trip. The only thing we had booked before was the train ticket to Hospet, the nearest railway station to Hampi. We reached Hospet Junction at around 1 in the afternoon. We walked to the closest bus stop which was around 500 meters from the station, had our 1st authentic South Indian lunch near the bus stop and took a bus to Hampi.
The bus driver dropped us at the location where we could rent scooters, but as this was the Holi weekend, there were no scooters to rent and also almost all the hotels were full. Now combining this with the temperatures in March we were stuck in an unknown city with no ride and no place to stay. But not losing our hopes and waiting for more than 2 hours we could finally rent a scooter and luckily also got a hotel room just beside the rental service. So guys patience is the key here when dealing with heat and no plan :) Finally, we went to one of the famous restaurants in Hampi known as the "Magotree" and had the best dinner there after a tiring day of finding accommodation and our ride, we made our plan for the next day...
Now the next morning we started our journey early, after experiencing enough randomness on day 1 of our trip we planned the places as per their distances from our hotel. the 1st place that we went to was the "Sanapur Lake"
After having a refreshing dip here in the lake, we then proceeded to the "Durga Mandir" which was under renovation and we couldn't see the architecture of the place that well.
Moving ahead, the trail leads you to 2 more places, 1st comes the "Anegundi Fort", which is one of the hidden gems of this place and resembles the Dravidian architecture of that time.
The 2nd place was the "Valikote Caves", which is one of the historic caves of Hampi.
The next destination is the most iconic place in the whole of Hampi, "The Vijay Vitthal Temple - The Stone Chariot." You can park your vehicles outside the temple premises and buy a ticket online to skip the queue, from a QR code posted outside. There are buggies to take you up to the temple premises as it is a huge temple, i would recommend planning your timings accordingly as we reached this place at peak afternoon and the sun completely; dried us out while exploring these historic ruins.
After rejuvenating inside the shades and calmness of these temples, we then went ahead with our journey, now to the heart of the city, where we stumbled upon some ruins, known as the "Krishna Bazar," an ancient market.
Just past the Krishna Bazar, there's another Ruin named "Pushpkarani", and we were confused about what it could be in ancient times...but later found out that it was a pond that had dried up due to the current summer season
Now, after visiting these many places from early in the morning with just a small breakfast break, we took our tummies to a restaurant known as "Funky Monkey" and the food here was the best lunch we had at Hampi. Also, the place is nicely decorated with traditional seating areas, hanging art pieces and serving authentic Indian food.
After satisfying our hunger with a delightful lunch, we headed to the "Anjaneya Hills" to watch the sunset. These hills are believed to be the birthplace of Lord Hanuman and feature a temple along with numerous monkeys at the summit. From the top, you can enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the majestic boulders of Hampi.
Finally, our day concluded with a nice evening walk in the cool breeze of the Virupaksha Temple premises, exploring the local markets and having dinner at the Mango Tree restaurant again, but this time trying their famous Banoffee Pie.
Summarizing Day 2 -
Sanapur Lake
Durga Mandir
Anegundi Fort
Valikote Caves
Vijay Vitthal Temple - The Stone Chariot
Krishna Bazaar
Pushpkarni
Anjaneya Hills
Virupaksha Temple premises and local market
After a hectic Day 2 of visiting so many ruins and diving back into our history, the next day was going to be the same since Hampi had so much to offer. We started the day early once again, but before going to any place, we just had a nice ride on our bike in the streets of Hampi.
As it was still early in the morning, we began our tour of Hampi's major temples, starting with the magnificent "Virupaksha Temple." This is one of the city's oldest temples, featuring stone carvings so beautiful that they will leave you mesmerized. Additionally, the temple is home to an elephant that welcomes visitors as they enter.
Next, we went to the "Ganesh Temple..."
A short walk behind the Ganesh Temple leads to a group of temples situated along the sloped mountain boundaries. Although these temples are deserted, they offer a breathtaking view of the city, so be sure not to miss them.
A short ride back to the city centre, we find the "Krishna Temple." Although the idols inside the temple have been destroyed, the beauty of the structures remains.
Next, we visited the final temple, "The Shiva Temple," which was constructed so that the main temple appeared to be underground, making it an architectural masterpiece.
After visiting the major temples, we shifted again to the historic ruins, and the 1st one of them was the "Queen's Bath." This was a part of the royal palaces.
2nd Place was the "Lotus Mahal" where we had a small break time, as we were dehydrated by the scorching sun's heat and this palace offered some relief with the shades of massive trees.
Lastly, we ended our historic ruins trips at the "Elephant Stables," these massive stables for elephants perfectly project the strength of this great empire and its famous elephant army.
After managing to complete almost all the major spots of the city we retired back to our hotel rooms, and prepared for one of the experiences that was Holika Dahan which takes place at the Virupaksha Temple premises. The locals dance to the sounds of the bands go around the temple, burst firecrackers and finally burn the Holi - in which a bonfire is lit to celebrate the burning of a demoness.
Day 3 Summary -
Virupaksha Temple
Ganesh Temple
Group of temples
Shiva Temple
Queen's Bath
Lotus Mahal
Elephant Stables
Holika Dahan
On our last day, we attended the Rang-Panchami festival near the Virupaksha temple. It was the most enjoyable experience of our trip. We played and danced with colours in the sky, greeting everyone with 'Happy Holi.' We made new friends and exchanged cultural insights with foreigners, helping them appreciate the beauty of this festival. Finally, we returned to Hospet Junction to catch our train back to Mumbai.
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