Places: Hampi, Aihole, Pattadakal and Badami
Distances:
Bangalore - Hospet: 367 kms
Hospet - Hampi:
13 kms
Hospet - Aihole: 135 kms
Aihole - Pattadakal: 13 kms
Pattadakal - Badami: 22 kms
The historical ruins in Northern Karnataka (India) are an open
observatory of the culture and lifestyle of its erstwhile rulers. These
physical remnants give us a peek into the expansive tastes of the royals. This
trip spanned precisely two days including reaching the main destinations, travel
between the sites and journey back to Bangalore.
How to Reach?
The train Hampi Express (16592) offers a comfortable overnight journey to and from the destination. A large group of travellers could pool in and hire a private vehicle to
drive them to Hampi and also around it.
Accommodation
Mayura Bhuvaneshwari run by the state’s tourism department, is
conveniently located from the historical sites. The hotel offers comfortable services at reasonable prices and
has a cordial staff. We took an auto-rickshaw from Hospet Station for Rs. 120.
Local Travel
We negotiated with the same auto to show us around all the historical
sites in vicinity for Rs. 500! One can also hire a taxi. Please check with the hotel’s reception for
details.
Day 1 - Hampi
Historical Background - The
Vijaynagara empire held prominence from 1336 A.D. through about 1650 A.D. During its golden period, Hampi served as the political and trade capital. Hampi is located on the banks of river Tungabhadra, has a hilly terrain
and is home to the much-revered temple of Lord Virupaksha, an avatar of Shiva
from Hinduism’s Holy Trinity. These topographical and religious factors aided
in establishing Hampi as the ideal centre for the Vijaynagara empire. The Hampi
group of monuments encompass a range of structures meant to facilitate the
carrying out of public and private functions of the political elite. These monuments
were classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986.
We began our sightseeing from the Virupaksha Temple complex. The temple
is built in classic south Indian style with a huge and intricately carved gopuram
at the entrance. Apart from Shiva, it also houses shrines of goddess
Bhuvaneshari and Pampa, who are the local deities of Hampi. This complex is
buzzing with simian activity. They don’t have a tendency to attack and carry on
with their business as the evolved species goes about clicking them! I even spotted
a pair of monkeys sharing a bar of chocolate (link to image).
Very close to this temple is the Hemkuta group of temples. There are 33 shrines dotting this hillock and their location offers a breath-taking aerial view of the town. There are two massive Ganesha (15 A.D.) statues facing north-eastern and south-eastern sides.
After soaking in these larger-than-life visuals, we drove over to the
Krishna temple located in a large complex which was under maintenance. A
remarkable feature of it is a pillar that has all ten avatars of Vishnu carved
on it. Bang opposite to this temple are the remnants of a sprawling marketplace
of the yore. The Krishna Bazar is essentially a 500 mts. long field with rows
of stalls that were used for setting up of shops.
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| The Krishna Bazar |
The Badavlinga Temple is a 3-mts. high single-stone lingam
in the midst of a thin stream. Right next to it is a 6.7 mts. high statue
of Lord Narasimha. The deity is seated on the coil of a seven-headed serpent,
in a yogic posture with a belt to support the knees. This imposing statue has
suffered a lot of damage due to weather and also attacks which have almost
entirely chipped away the statue of his consort Lakshmi seated on his lap.
We rode back to our hotel for a lunch break and in between stopped to
check out the Underground Shiva Temple (14th C.). It is located in a
quiet expanse of green and can be reached after climbing down a long flight of stairs.
Due to a sad state of maintenance, the temple was reeking of dampness and there
were tiny fishes in the water collected preventing one from walking up to the
sanctum sanctorum.
We also made a pit stop at the Queen’s Bath. The bath is actually a huge pool located in the centre of a royal structure and has a trench on all sides to ensure a constant supply of fresh water.
The entire area is a concentration of temples with displaying excellent artisan skills of designing and carving. The Hazar Rama Temple is my favourite amongst all those visited. This is the only temple situated in the heart of royal enclosure, between the residential and ceremonial enclosures. The walls of this temple complex are covered with elaborate carvings, in three tiers. “Hazar Rama” literally means a thousand Ramas. The carvings and inscriptions, totalling up to a thousand, depict episodes from the Ramayana.
We resumed our sightseeing by going over to the far end of the
historical sites. This cluster of monuments includes the ladies’ enclosure and
elephant stables (!). Seen in the image are a watchtower at one end of the
enclosure and intricate carving at the entrance of one of the structures. The
significance of elephants, for military and other purposes, can be gauged by
the special attention paid to their upkeep in the airy gallery and vast open
spaces.
Our final stopover in this whirlwind tour of the stunning ruins was that
of the Vitthala temple complex. While a lot of it is in a sorry state of ruin,
that doesn’t take away from its magnificence. The complex houses what are
possibly the most famous remnants of this capital. It has the Vitthala temple,
marriage hall, festival hall, the King’s Balance and the famous stone chariot
among many other vestiges. The entry to the core of this complex passes through
a long road with wide open spaces (like lawns) on both sides. These were
originally market spaces for the trading of horses. You can spot some horses grazing around, aloof from the prying eyes passing them by.
It was dusk by now and on our way back to the hotel, I stopped around
the Talarigatta gate that was one of the main entrances to the urban centre of Hampi from the river's side.
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| Talarigatta Gate |
Thus ended our day-long sightseeing of Hampi. We missed a few spots (eg.,
Mint and Granary) and skipped some temples, mainly because most of them are in
a dismal state of maintenance. For instance, the Chandikeshwar Temple had cow
dung (fresh and dried) scattered across its floor. Such callous state of affairs was
painful to bear, both by the mind and the olfactory.
It is quite possible to check out the sights of Hampi and comfortably
board the train to Bangalore in the evening. For the enthusiasts, though, 4-5
days (in comfortable weather) would be initially sufficient to appreciate the
grandeur of Hampi. I was traveling with family and had booked our return
tickets for the next day, so as to avoid any rush at either ends. This quick seeing
of the important sights at Hampi left us with a whole long day to pass and no
prior plans for it! The hotel’s receptionist was quite helpful in suggesting to
us some other historical sites which could be visited the following day. We
hired a cab, recommended by them, and took off early morning, to be back well in
time for our train from Hospet.
Day 2
Aihole,
Pattadakal and Badami were politically prominent sites during various phases of
the Chalukyas (450-750 A.D.), whose reign preceded the rise of Vijaynagara
empire. They also formed the trio of sites showcasing extensive and significant
experiments in temple architecture of the south. According to Wikipedia, Aihole
was the first capital of the early Chalukyas. Here they built over 125 temples
in various styles and is said to be a laboratory of experiments in rock cut
architecture. Pulakesi I, one of the greatest rulers of this dynasty, moved the
capital to Badami nearby. It is from these temples that the Chalukyas gained
their experience and went on to build the great temples of Pattadakal. We didn’t visit the sites in the chronological
order of their historical significance but stopped by as they came up along
the route.
Aihole
Our first pit
stop was at this complex which houses a group of six temples in a dilapidated
condition. The lingams were mostly not there (destroyed or stolen, I suspect), the
carvings at entrances of various temples were severely weathered (or purposely
scraped, can’t say) and it’s Nandi (Shiva’s man Friday, the personification of
a bull) made for a sight best not seen.The only saving
grace of this site is a small pond tucked away in one of its corners. It can be
reached by climbing down a long flight of stairs and is home to some frogs.
Aihole,
expectedly, is home to some of the most ancient and architecturally significant
sites of this empire. They are surrounded by local population whose existence
has almost merged into these archaeological gems. I could not explore most of
the sites because they were either guarded by oxes and their carts, or had dung
and sludge strewn at the entrances. While it may be alright to support an
organic existence of present populace with historical sites, it does not merit
such callousness on part of the Archaeological Survey of India or the local
administration. 
These ruins are being further ruined because, apparently, they
do not have any historical relevance for the villagers living there who happily
service their oxes in the backyards of these sites! The administration’s disinterest
was starkly evident in the state of the display signs which were rusted and
crumbling. The Huchchappayana
Matha carries the prized title of laying the foundation of south Indian
style of rock-cut temple architecture. The complex has a temple and a matha
located in the centre of an expansive lawn which I could not enter because
there were oxes lazing at its gate! Next up was the
The Mallikarjuna complex proffered a sight of relief as it houses five shrines (8-10 A.D.), at a height and spaced out in a lush lawn. The Gauri and Jain temples in the vicinity had the path leading to them strewn with garbage and slush of cattle excrement.
After these
disappointing sights we drove to the Durga temple. The complex is ticketed
and thus monuments there are in a better state of maintenance. The temple’s
exterior is reminiscent of a mini Buddhist chaitya. There are intricate stone
carvings on its inside walls as well as the entrance pillars. To
its south, in the same complex, is the Lad Khan temple devoted to
Shiva. The windows are in a lattice similar to the north Indian pattern of window-carving.
Pattadakal
The ticketed
complex by the river Malaprabha at Pattadakal comprises of a total eight Shiva temples and one Jain temple. The earliest attempt to build a temple at this
site has been dated to 3rd-4th cent. A.D. and the latest
one is said to be of 9th cent. A.D. Although, the main eight temples
were built by the Chalukyan kings and queens from 7th- 9th
cent. A.D. The complex presents a compact appreciation of all that is unique to
the prominent styles of temple-making in southern India.
The temples of
Papanatha, Kasivisvesara, Jambulinga and Galagnath are all in the Rekhanagara
style with curvilinear and elongated shikharas.
The Mallikarjun
and Virupaksha temples were built in mid-7th cent. A.D. by the
queens of Vikramaditya-II to commemorate his victory over the Pallavas of
Kanchi. These and the Sangamesvara temple are all built in the Dravida
Vimana marked by their tiered-roofs which are square-shaped and placed in
descending size.
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| Original and replaced Nandi at Virupaksha Temple,Pattadakkal |
Badami
Our next
destination was the sleepy town of Badami famous for cave temples carved out of
sandstone. It lies in a ravine and the top-most cave offers a spectacular view
of the area, replete with its own sprawling Agastya lake at the bottom. The
caves have been carved out of monolithic rocks and one has to climb about 2000
steps to soak it all in. The first cave is dedicated to Shiva with carvings of
an 18-armed Shiva, Ardha Nareeshvar, Ganesha, and Mahishasurmardini among
others.
The second and
third caves are dedicated to friezes depicting various forms of Vishnu. The
final cave is distinct from all of these as it is adorned with carvings of Jain tirthankars.
These caves give
us an insight into the finesse of artistes that prevailed and their dedication
to the craft. Unfortunately, this site is overflowing with simian activity
which make it more of a menace than amusement. There are monkeys darting all
across, sometimes even snatching footwear and the like. One has to be careful
while climbing up and down the stairs as these open spaces are most prone to
their movement. The interiors of the caves are, thankfully, spared of this
scare and one can observe these sophisticated petrographs at peace.
A little further
(5 kms) from the caves is the Banashankri Temple, who is also the local deity. The
temple has an impressive image of Shakambari devi with eight arms and seated on
a lion. In front of the temple is a huge tank lined by coconut trees on all
sides.
Our main
itinerary was covered with the visit to this temple and we slept on our long
drive back to Hospet. A little outside the main town is the dam constructed on
Tungabhadra river. One can stroll in and take a bus ride to the peak of this
complex and see the mighty river being dammed, up close and personal!
Food: Hampi is severely
lacking in abundant or hygienic options to eat out. We were quite drained
and couldn’t find a place to just rest and munch. This left us with no choice
but to come to our place of stay for lunch. Please carry snacks, fruits and
juices to recharge your batteries and keep going from one monument to another.
Maps
1. http://goldfactoids.blogspot.in/2013/04/ancient-gold-coins-gold-plate-found-in.html
2. http://www.dharssi.org.uk/travel/india/hampi.html
3. http://www.indiamapsonline.com/history-of-india-map/badami-chalukya-empire.html
4-5. http://www.4to40.com/travel/print.asp?p=Badami,_Aihole_and_Pattadakal
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| Coming Soon: R goes tripping the tropics at Lakshadweep! |
