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After a week of blissful laziness on the beach, we regretfully left Goa and head east, towards the state of Karnataka, to a small, but extremely atmospheric village called Hampi. It is here that we can find one of the most numerous and, no need to hide, some of the most popular temples of South India. Combined with amazing rock formations and contrasting landscapes, they create a magical atmosphere that reminds us a bit of that in Thai Ayutthaya. Life in Hampi goes on slowly, nobody is in a hurry anywhere, and time seems to have stopped completely here. No wonder that the locals have a saying: “Don’t worry, be Hampi” 😉 We took them to heart and to soak up the atmosphere of this place even a little bit, we decided to stay here for longer. In this post, you’ll find out what are the best historical places worth seeing in this magical place. Other useful information about Hampi can be found here. Enjoy reading!

Virupaksha Temple and market complex - one of the best historical places to visit in Hampi
Virupaksha Temple and market complex, Hampi, Karnataka, India

How to get to Hampi?

The easiest way to get to Hampi from Goya is by taking the express train from Margao to Hospet. The train from Margao leaves on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7.10 and the journey takes about 8 hours. We, as we were successfully able to register on the Indian IRCTC website (a detailed guide on how to do it can be found here and here; it is really worth trying to register on the IRCTC website, because thanks to this we can book tickets earlier on-line, and at the same time save some money, which otherwise as a foreigners we would have to spend to intermediaries such as 12goAsia, or India Someday), we use this method. From Hospet to Hampi (half an hour away) we were taken by a taxi driver hired by our guest house, but you can also use public transport (the bus from Hospet leaves every 30 minutes from 5.45 am). If for some reason you do not want to travel by Indian railway, another way to get to Hampi is by night bus of one of the local carriers (eg. Paolo Travel). This option comes out a bit more expensive than the train, the journey itself takes a little longer (about 11 hours), but you do not have to worry about transport from Hospet. Whoever prefers 😉 We definitely prefer train,
We definitely prefer the train, the more that we have many classes to choose from, which sometimes exceed the standard we have in Poland!

What to see in Hampi?

Hampi Bazaar and Virupaksha Temple

We began our adventure with Hampi, a town that once was the thriving capital of the Vijayanagara empire, early in the morning by crossing the boat to the other side of the river. The first place we visited is the famous Hampi Baazar district, where the local market operates to this day (unfortunately, it is probably the main attraction for tourists today). We walked for a while between the stalls offering various wonders, and then we went towards the nearby Virupaksha temple, which together with the surrounding objects is the so-called Sacred Quarter. This temple belongs to one of the oldest in the city and is the only one that is still a sacred place of Hindu worship. Of the entire complex, the entrance gate called gopura, over 50 meters high, made the greatest impression on us. We liked much less the elephant Lakshmi trapped in the temple (who blesses tourists for a small fee) and the view of poor homeless dogs lounging on the temple floor. Me haven’t managed to get used to such realities of India yet…

Krishna’s Temple and Bazaar

After visiting the temple of Virupaksha, we met with our rickshawman and together we headed towards the next attractions. We highly recommend this option to you, because it is by far the fastest and most convenient method of visiting ruins, which are so many that it takes a month or more to see them all. It is worth booking a rickshaw at least one day in advance (our rickshaw was rented to us the day before by our guest house staff). The driver of our rickshaw turned out to be a young man, weak for an Indian, who liked too loud music and telling anecdotes, and one of the first places he took us to is the Krishna temple. This building, today unfortunately largely ruined, was erected in the 16th century by the then ruler Krishna Deva Raja in memory of the winning campaign. Next to the temple is a large square with columned corridors, which once served as a local bazaar. Before we leave this place, it is worth taking a walk around it for a while. We also did so and set off further.

Lakshmi Narasimha Temple

Another place where we stayed is the temple with the largest statue in the area – the statue of Narasimha, which is almost 7 meters high, one of the ten incarnations of Vishnu. Narasimha probably owes his name to his bulging eyes and the peculiar expression on his face 😉 Originally, the sculpture of Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, also rested on the lap of the deity, unfortunately only her hand, supporting Narasimha, has survived to this day. It’s a pity, because apparently she made a big impression. Well, we had to be content with Narasimha alone. After a short photo session with a cow walking in the middle of the road, we could move towards the next attractions.

Chandikeshwara Temple

The next point on our route was one of the most important and best preserved temples in the whole of Hampi – the Chandikeshwara temple. This complex is dedicated to the god Vishna, and its popularity is mainly due to the wonderful architecture, dating back to the splendor of the Vijayanagara state. The most impressive for us were the intricately decorated pillars in the entrance hall, as well as the amazing sculptures of Yalis, a creature derived from Hindu mythology. It is worth visiting this place!

Shiva’s Underground Temple

The next temple we visited was the underground temple of Shiva, which, as the name implies, is located many meters below the surface of the earth. Nobody knows why it was built below ground level, or where the water, which for most of the year is in the sanctuary and a significant part of the complex, comes from. According to one local theory, water passes through special holes during the monsoon season from the Tungabhadra River. Like the Chandikeshwara Temple, this object dates back to the times of the Vijayanagara Empire, making it one of the oldest monuments in the area. If you’re planning a visit to Hampi between November and March, you must come here!

Zenana Enclosure

After visiting the basement of Siva, we stopped for a moment at the temple of Hazara Rama, known for its beautiful sculptures and extraordinary granite pillars, and then we went towards Kamalapuram and the so-called Royal Quarter. The first place we visited in this area is surrounded by a high wall and watchtowers, a green oasis called Zenana Enclosure. Once, it was probably reserved only for women from the royal family, but there are many conflicting theories about this. The highlight of the complex is undoubtedly the beautifully decorated Lotus Mahal palace, as well as the impressive size, the 11-barn Elephant Stable. You must see this place and do not be discouraged by a very high entrance fee (Zenana is one of the few monuments in Hampi where the fee is charged, in addition 25 times higher than that which must be paid by Indians!).

Water Tank and Mahanavami Platform

Another place where our young guide took us is a large stepped water tank and a three-level platform Mahanavami, from which there are nice views of the surrounding ruins. Apparently, the platform once served kings during the holidays of Dasara, as well as other important celebrations. Currently, it is a popular point for taking photos. We had a short photo session and went on.

Queen’s Bath

After visiting the observation deck, we headed towards the Queen’s Bath, which, despite its name, was in fact supposedly also used by the king himself. Although the building seemed quite inconspicuous to us from a distance, after entering it we changed our mind completely. For our eyes appeared beautiful, arched corridors with decorative balconies, all maintained in an impressive Indo-Islamic style. Perfect background for romantic shots 😉

Vitthala Temple

At the end of the tour, we probably left the biggest attraction of Hampi – the Vitthala temple. Unfortunately, it turned out that it is not enough that you have to pay for the entrance, you also have to pay for the transport by melex to the object’s gate. Fortunately, the mystical beauty of the unfinished temple has compensated us with the money spent. Undoubtedly, the most important attraction of this place is the richly decorated stone chariot (once riding), dedicated to Garuda, as well as the world-famous temple built of 56 musical pillars – Ranga Mutapa – whose secret has fascinated many researchers for years. In addition, within the complex we can also see the intricately decorated, main temple Maha Mantapa and two buildings located to the right and left of the entrance – wedding and prayer rooms. Definitely, a must-see during every visit to Hampi! It is a pity that almost always there are tourists here. But well, you can’t have everything!

Where to eat in Hampi?

When we finished visiting the Vitthala temple, we said goodbye to our rickshaw man, handing him a substantial wad of money, and hungry we went towards the Mango Tree restaurant located in the center of the village. As soon as we crossed the threshold of the pub, we immediately felt the atmosphere of this place. We took comfort seats on pillows and asked the service what they recommend. After a short reflection, we ordered yellow curry with cashews, traditional Indian thali and a lot of capati bread. It was really hard to say whether the fact that we ate everything almost immediately was due to excellent cuisine or our immense hunger, one thing is certain – we left the restaurant fully satisfied 😉 So much that we went for a short walk in the blaze the setting sun. In the village, we were often flocked by a herd of children trying to sell postcards. When it got quite late, we decided to go back to the hotel. Unfortunately, as we were the only passengers, none of the natives wanted to take us by boat to the other side of the river. Probably half an hour passed before we were able to find someone. After reaching our homestay, we immediately fell tired. What an intense day it was!

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