Musafir

My journey started on the 21st of December 2007. This time i went alone. I feel that if one wants to enjoy art and history to the fullest, one must be alone. I reached Hospet early in the morning at 5.00 AM. I had to wait one and a half hours to get a bus to Hampi, which is at a distance of 12 Kms from Hospet.

Tourists started swarming the bus station and many of them were of different nationalities. There were locals who were offering to drop them in Hampi for lesser prices. I spoke to a couple of foreigners and they had actually booked accommodation prior to their arrival. Finally, the buses started and we were on the bus to Hampi. The half an hour journey to Hampi was extraordinary with ruins appearing on the road side and small temples just lay in the fields.

The perimeter of the kingdom of Vijaynagar actually starts in Hospet and you can find the fortified walls here and there. As we go to Hampi, there are some things that one can visit.

Ananthasayana Temple: This temple is one of the grandest in the Vijaynagar era and once upon a time, whoever visited the empire had a darshan of the lord before entering Hampi. This shrine was erected by Krishnadevaraya in 1524 A.D for the god Ananthapadmanabha in the town Sale Tirumala - Maharayapura founded by him in the honour of his son.

The king appointed priests following Vaikhanasa agama for conducting worship. Facing north, the temple is of colossal proportions. The temple has a rectangular sanctum with three doorways. The long pedestal within the Garbhagriha was intended for an image of reclining Vishnu.

The vaulted dome over the Garbhagriha measures 10 meters high and speaks much about the constructional skill of the Vijayanagara craftsman. A small minor shrine for Devi is situated to the south west in the complex.

Today, this temple is without proper care and you can find some unauthorized local guides offering to tell the stories of the empire.

Ahmed Khan’s Tomb and Mosque: During the reign of Ramaraya, there used to be a general by name Jagannadha Patrudu. He is actually an illegitimate son of Ramaraya. He wanted the downfall of the empire and joins the enemy by changing his name to Ahmed Khan. Finally, he along with the enemy brings down the kingdom. He dies in the final battle and the enemy constructs a mosque on his name along with his tomb. You can find the mosque and tomb on the Hospet - Hampi route.

An Old Water Tank: On the Hampi - Kampli road, you will find a small water storage area. The area is fenced and lawn developed all round the tank. The entrance to the tank is closed to avoid people accidentally falling into the tank. There is nothing much if importance in this place but one can realize the planning done by the administration in water storage.  

These are the most important locations that you will find on the Hospet - Hampi Road. Of course, there are tons of things when you reach Hampi. We will take one at a time.

As you are nearing Hampi from Hospet, you will find temples and old monuments on either side of the road and that is the first view that one  gets of what is in store. Its a pleasure to watch the road passing under some old constructions. One must appreciate the quality of the constructions which stood intact for 500 years. The first one you see is the one in the photograph where it was one of the entrances of the empire.

You can imagine soldiers guarding the entrance on either sides and on the top. A wonderful view…

To be continued……