Grandeur and Mystical Hampi - A Short Travel Guide

Hello,

I have picked Hampi as a first subject for my first travel blog out of my immense admiration and awe I have for the place. I have visited Hampi on multiple times but my curiosity and interest haven’t lost a bit.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in east-central Karnataka, India. The city was a capital of the great Hindu empire of Vijayanagar and was in a pinnacle of its glory under the Krishnadevaraya (1509-1529).

Background –

Vijayanagar Empire was established by Harihara I and his brother Bukkaraya of Sangama dynasty in 1336. Tuluva Dynasty also ruled the empire after the Sangama dynasty. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts by the southern powers to ward off Islamic invasions by the end of the 13th century. It lasted until 1646, although its power declined after a major military defeat in the Battle of Talikota in 1565 by the combined armies of the Deccan sultanates. Empire named after its capital “Vijayanagar”.

Hampi became the centre of the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire capital in the 14th century. Chronicles left by Persian and European travellers, particularly the Portuguese, state Hampi was a prosperous, wealthy and grand city near the Tungabhadra River, with numerous temples, farms and trading markets. By 1500 CE, Hampi-Vijayanagara was the world's second-largest medieval-era city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at that time, attracting traders from Persia and Portugal. The Vijayanagara Empire was defeated by a coalition of Muslim sultanates; its capital was conquered, pillaged and destroyed by sultanate armies in 1565, after which Hampi remained in ruins.  

How to Reach Hampi –

Closest big city to Hampi village is Hospet which is at 12.6Km.

• By road - You can take private and govt buses (ksrtc.in)  from Hubli (151km), Bangalore (328km) and Panaji (349km), Hyderabad (384km) depending upon your arrival. Private cabs are also an option. There are two roads from Bangalore to Hampi, one via Chitradurga (New Road and Preferred route) and another via Anantpur (slightly longer distance).

• Via Train -Several express trains pass via Hospet. There are a few passenger trains that connect Hospet with nearby cities. If you are coming from far places to Hampi ( like Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata etc ), look for a direct ( or even split journey ) train connection from your place to Hospet Jn ( HPT).

• Via Flight - For Domestic travellers, there is one flight every day from Bangalore to Vidyanagar (VDY) which is close to Hampi. Several flights from Mumbai other major cities operate to Hubli. For international travellers Bangalore (BLR) is the closest international airport, Hyderabad being the second option for international travellers.

• Where to stay -Hampi is a small village and restricted site for construction, you won’t find big hotels in the village. You can book small homestay through booking.com. There are several luxury and budget stay available at Hospet (Hosapete).

How to explore the local places -

You can hire a tuktuk auto for reasonable price on daily basis (Don't pay more than 1000/day), or rent a bike if you stay in hampi village (only few bikes available and have to be picked up before 7 am), There are bicycles available of various sizes if you’re fit enough :). Govt appointed guides are handy and inexpensive. Don't fall for any expensive traps. Nothing costs more than 1000 rupees in Hampi.

Places to visit -

Hampi has more than 100 places to visit. I’m going to post some of the most important ones here.
Virupaksha Temple 


Hemakuta Hill

Vijaya Vittala Temple





Laxmi Ugranarasimha Statue


Mahanavami Dibba


Hajara Rama Temple



Queen's Bath



Public Bath



Lotus Mahal


Badavi Linga 


Kadle Kalu Ganesha


Sasive Kalu Ganesha


Elephant Stable 


Mathanga Parvatha 


Thank you for visiting my blog.

All pictures are captured by me. ©sunilaralikatti