Hampi/Vijayanagar (2)

Tungabhadra riverside temples and sculptures

Late in the afternoon of the first day, Siv rested while John took a rickshaw to the end of Hampi Bazaar and then walked eastwards along the Tungabhadra to see some more scenery. And what scenery!

John turned left from the end of Hampi Bazaar and, upon reaching the river, proceeded to the right along a path constructed centuries ago from cut stone. The view of the river as it makes an S-curve to the north and east through the stone-strewn landscape is breath-taking. There is a short tunnel formed by massive rocks leaning on each other, before attaining the Chakratirtha, the holiest bathing spot on the Tungabhadra. At that time of day, there were no bathers, only coracles lying about.


End of Hampi Bazaar	Along the Tungabhadra

A tunnel on the path	Chakratirtha

After the tunnel, there is a very long and beautiful mandapa, leading to the Kondandarama Temple, which contains a relief of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana. All this part of the river is related to the Ramayana and is supposed to be the site of the monkey kingdom of Sugriva, who sent a monkey army to aid Rama in the rescue of his wife, Sita, from the rakshasha (demon) Ravanna. There were plenty of monkeys present that day, as well as one underfed cat. Many of the monkeys were in fact langurs, also called Hanuman langurs, after you-know-who.


Kondandarama Temple and mandapa	Temple cat

Langurs - what long tails!	Langur

John then made his way around the curve of the river. Scrambling over the rocks, he managed almost to reach some carvings on two rocks forming a sort of cliff above him. In the background, the ghosts of several pillared halls seemed to sprout from the rocks.


Pillared halls amid rocks	Jumbled rocks

Rock carvings	Looking back towards Matanga Hill

Noticing that the sun was getting low, John started back. Then he saw that a herd of cows was starting back too, so not being a cow lover, he hastened more. Suddently, a dog appeared in front of him, growling low in the back of his throat. After a moment's panic, John realized the dog was growling not at him, but at the cows, which he was there to herd. And he and several collegues really did herd them. Back past the tunnel on the path, dog and young master met in a scene of yelping excitement which know no borders!


View towards west and gopuram of Virupaksha Temple	Herd dog

Cows and dogs	Boy and dog - true love

Walking back down Hampi Bazaar in the horizontal, golden light from the setting sun, John observed the colors of evening. It was incredible to think that this long double row of colonnades spanned the entire length of the street. On the way back, he went up on Hemakuta Hill again to admire the sunset. Actually, more striking than the sunset itself was the color of the light on the landscape and ruins.


Colonnades starting from the end of Hampi Bazaar	Contemporary use of ruins

Sunset on Hemakuta Hill	Virupaksha Temple at sunset

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