India - Hampi Tourist Information Guide - Places To Visit Travel Advice

India - Things To Do In Hampi - Travel Advice

Hampi - A paradise without a Beach

One of the most important sacred places and interesting South India, as both Hampi and its surroundings are full of ruins and temples, more than 500, some better preserved than others. And, back in the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries, the then capital of the Vijayanagara Empire was a megalopolis in the Middle Ages had more than 500,000 inhabitants, making it the second largest city in the world then, and that fell due to the invasions of the Mongols.

Today Hampi is just a small town on the banks of a sacred river, to which pilgrims come to wash and purify themselves in a similar manner, although on a smaller scale to what is happening hundreds of miles north on its big brother, the Varanassi majestically on the banks of the Ganges.

Hampi History - To give a little history, I explained that Hampi was the birthplace of Hindu greatest empire of all time, it is said that this empire had about 2000 war elephants, thousands of soldiers and a strength never shot down by any other empire. The strength of this empire was such that even in Sri Lanka pay taxes. Many years passed until the enemies were able to find the exact city of Hampi, and it was a foolish mistake. By invading the peoples of the area, the Hindu empire attacked and butchered the people who did not undergo or who posed a threat. The Mughals surrounded the position, although it took longer to arrive, found their way to the gates of the empire in Hampi, and ended up destroying a whole.

The rest of the time in Hampi was special super general, I visited the Lake where we could swim peacefully as it is an artificial lake, visited the temple of Hannum other day, I walked along the river, bathed in the well, I visited some of the ruins, which are huge and a lot and generally had a week of total relaxation, my plans were well calculated to the end of my visit to India and did not have any hurry to go anywhere.

Stone houses, some built between columns of an ancient temple, many painted white by pedestrian streets that run all sorts of characters, as pilgrims from all over India come to Hampi each with their traditional costumes, some motorcycle and rickshaw and many cows, tourist shops, tailors, restaurants and guest houses, and temples, look where you look there are temples.

The main temple of the ancient Vijayanagara called Virupaksha, is now in very good condition and is both now and in the past a religious center around which Hampi is today. These place Hindu pilgrims come to honor their gods and spend the night in their stone floors.

Hampi main temple full of life during the day, pilgrims praying, walking, eating, singing and, as always, sharing space with the sacred cows.

It's a real experience to approach the temple at dusk, as a party of pilgrims make their stay in the same and after dinner (the food is distributed free by the temple) come together to sing a lot, while others chat with their throw new friends or to sleep on the stone floor, something unthinkable for us but normal to them, as even having bed at home, most choose to sleep on the floor, while others sleep on a bed of ropes intertwined that take to the streets to keep cool, so when you walk from the 22 through the streets of Hampi is finding one with beds and mosquito nets on doors of homes and bodies scattered lumps appear on the floor, above the temple .

The main temple of Hampi at night, where pilgrims find shelter at night, when after dinner and sing their advantage to lie on hard ground, which the Indians are accustomed as many of them do not use sleeping facilities.

To visit all the temples would take several days for a stroll through the village, and discover in every corner ancestral monument, another to walk around the river and climb the rocks that dot the landscape, huge boulders and rounded red for which there is sometimes built temples from which you can enjoy a beautiful sunset, and at least a third day to venture away from knowing the temples, for which it is advisable to take a conveyance, which can be a rickshaw , one for the more sporty bike or a scooter that can be rented all day and is a fun way to learn and self-place and the surrounding villages.

Other side of the river - The other side of the river is a very quiet place, crossing the boats leave at 6 pm with the fall of the sun. Other side of the river got many Guest Houses at a great price, ranging between 150 and 600 rupees. Travellers who have been here before will know that staying on the other side of river is cheap and quiet.

Take a boat and go to the other side of the river for 15 rupees.

Granite rocks -The area around Hampi is impressive. Huge rocks carved and others that are giant pieces start in the old style, with wooden wedges to split them into two. The dozens of temples in the area there are built with these stones without much regard for ground resistance that is common to see temples that twist till they drop.

They reproduce the same interrogation from all over India. There is something that has attracted much attention. Most Indians do not have a clue where Spain is, many have heard of Spain but not located on the map and less embarrassing to ask if you go far away. Most of them are staring trying to search the hard drive of your head any trace of this country. It is amusing to see that in many parts of India where like football, former colonies, when the word Spain appoints respond with that soccer is David Villa. It is the most familiar name but not always pronounce it right.

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