‘The New York Times’ list of 52 places to visit in 2019 featured Hampi at the second spot for its rich architectural legacy’ !!! What a proud to the country I thought as I read this news.Being the only Indian destination on the list, Hampi has certainly broken records.This created an urge in me to share my experience visiting this place.

One of the historically rich places, a UNESCO world heritage site housed in the state where I lived was a must visit in my list. Being a resident of Bangalore,I decided to drive down to Hampi on a weekend.This village was one of the richest, ruled by the Vijayanagar Empire in the 14th century.It is most known for its monument remains in spite of the war destructions. Be it history or mythology, this place has stories to tell you.

Hampi, located in the east-central Karnataka gave me pleasant weather last November when I visited.After a quick refreshment at the hotel I stayed,I hired a rickshaw who agreed on to give me a complete ride across the village. As we traveled by the banks of Tungabhadra River,the rickshaw man told me about the richness of the place. There were traders from all across visiting here,as they sold precious stones like diamond and gold on these streets.Imagining the sight of this amazed me! We first visited the Virupaksha Temple.

Depicting the intricate architecture,this temple is a famous pilgrimage centre located on the southern bank of Tungabhadra River.It initially had a Deity of Lord Shiva which was further developed during the eras of Vijayanagar, Chalukyas,and Hoysalas. It is one of the intact monuments from the 7th century.We next moved to another architectural marvel,The Lotus Mahal. It was mostly for the royal women of the Vijayanagar dynasty where they socialized. Also called as Kamal Mahal,its design is a merger of Islamic styled tombs and Indian layered roofs.

 After relaxing around this place surrounded by trees, we moved to witness yet another Indo-Islamic structure. The magnificent Elephant Stable. This structure, containing 11 domed tall chambers, was built as a shelter for the royal elephants of the Vijayanagar Dynasty. The central dome resembles the Indian temple pattern whereas the other pair of 5 domes on either is of Islamic style. These domes are interconnected through the arched openings and can accommodate two elephants at a time.

The next one on our journey through this village was the very famous Stone Chariot, one among the three other chariots of India (Odisha, Konark, and Mahabalipuram). This monument can be called the charm of Hampi considering its overwhelming beauty. This is a shrine dedicated to Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu as per mythology and is located inside the Vittala temple. It once carried an idol of Garuda which is not there anymore. This was built by King Krishnadevaraya who was inspired by the stone chariot in Odisha during a war. It has two elephants in the front carrying the chariot which is a replacement for the horses destroyed during the wars.

Few of the other eye-catching monuments here are Saasivekaalu Ganesha, Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Monolith bull, Hazara Rama temple, Queen’s bath, and the Matanga hills.

Each one of these graciously glorifies the sensitive architecture on the heavy rock structures. As a whole I must say, the art of ancient skillful architects on these monuments totally left me spellbound! It’s no wonder that these architectural monuments have stunned the tourists worldwide to have been ranked so high in the New York Times.