By Trinetta Fernandes
Five Female Travel Enthusiasts. One Weekend. That’s all nosotros needed to gear upward out exploring yet some other place. We were clear virtually discovering a slice of ancient Bharat together with nosotros zeroed inwards on Hampi.
Hampi is located inwards North Karnatak on the banks of the river Tungabhadra, only about 709 kms. from Mumbai. It was ane time the working capital missive of the alphabet of the Hindu Vijaynagar Empire which ruled South Bharat betwixt 14th to 16th century AD. The ruined temple metropolis is famously known every bit the ‘Boulder metropolis of India’. It is a labyrinth of temples, busy marketplace places, narrow streets, ancient monuments surrounded past times boulder strew mountains. It besides features with UNESCO’s World Heritage sites.
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| First sightings of boulders |
The friendly rickshaw guys who picked us upward from the Hospet Bus Stand offered to cause got us about later nosotros speedily checked into our invitee house. Finding an economical house to alive is no mammoth task. Tiny lanes lined with rows of houses with extra rooms attached are a mutual sight. Tourism has helped generate a source of revenue for the locals.
Our rickshaw drivers doubled upward every bit our guides together with thence nosotros began our exploration. Our root halt was the magnificent Virupaksha Temple, which is believed to go ane of the oldest active temples inwards India. It dates dorsum to the 7th century AD. The temple complex was filled with people performing prayer rituals along with the tourists queued upward to admire the carvings on stone at the entrance of the temple. The intricate designs on stone along with the precision would cause got been quite a employment inwards the times the temple was built.
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| A sentiment of the Virupaksha Temple entrance |
Filled with admiration later visiting the temple complex, nosotros headed onwards. While at that topographic point are local tourists, Hampi is besides a mutual goal with international tourists. Our adjacent halt was the regal enclosures together with the elephant stables.
The stables served every bit a abode to the regal elephants. It is a long construction spread across a garden. Every stable is large plenty to adjust a minimum of ii elephants. Within the same premises is situated the Lotus Temple. It is an ornate construction with a mixture of Hindu together with Muslim architecture. Our guides informed us it was used past times the queens during their leisure time.
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| The Elephant Enclosures |
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| The Lotus Temple |
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| The Lakshmi Narsimha |
Famished past times now, nosotros headed to cause got a repast at a rather quaint eating seat ‘Mango Tree’ later which nosotros went to come across the Lakshmi Narsimha. The statue of a ‘half human being together with one-half lion’ carved out of a unmarried stone is 6.7 one thousand high. It is said to go ane of the 10 incarnations of Vishnu with detailed carving. The complex houses the Badavi Linga Temple, which is largest monolithic Linga inwards Hampi. It is filled with H2O throughout the yr together with the temple priest spends his entire hateful solar daytime inwards waist deep water- such is his devotion!
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| The Vittala Temple Complex |
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| The Stone Chariot |
The complex offers a spot for every tired traveller to rest. One tin uncovering their placidity house together with sit down dorsum to admire the vast temple complex or indulge inwards a coracle ride across the river, only behind the temple. (A coracle is a pocket-size circular traditional boat)
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| A placidity spot inwards the Vittala Temple Complex |
The weekend had ended together with and so had our trip. We headed dorsum abode with sore feet, happy hearts together with content smiles. We cannot human face to larn explore some other house soon!
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| Happy Us! |
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AUTHOR BIO - Trinetta industrial plant inwards the Development Sector every bit a Social Worker. An fauna lover, she loves heading out of the out at every given opportunity. She enjoys solo traveling every bit good every bit exploring places with her daughter group.
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Have y'all visited an ancient metropolis on your travels recently?
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