After visiting the Hampi bazaar, we set out to see the rest of the sites. We made a great deal and took an auto to see the sites. We had a long conversation with the auto driver on the way and he was willing to share everything that he knew about the place.
The first place that we visited is Vittala Temple. I was excited to see the musical pillar at Vittala temple, even before going to Hampi because I have heard a lot about it. I wanted to study more about how it was producing the sound. But to my dismay, the pillars were not open to the public since it was under reconstruction.
Beside the Vittala temple, is the Stone chariot. It was so majestic and beautiful. The chariot had some deep carvings and was very detailed. No one could believe the amount of details it had. Even though it is called a stone chariot, it's actually a shrine built like a chariot. In mythology, Lord Vittala is an aspect of Lord Vishnu. Garuda is the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. The shrine is empty now though it once contained an icon of Lord Vishnu. In front of the chariot, two elephants are positioned as if they are pulling the chariot. Initially, instead of the elephants, horses were carved in that position. The elephants were attached later on. The tail and the rear legs of the horses can still be seen behind the elephant structures. An uncle that I met told me about this story of the stone chariot. A lot of other tourists were there as well. The place became crowded after a while.
The next strange thing that I observed in this temple is that, out of all the temples that I visited so far, in addition to Hindi, English, and Telugu translation, the description was translated to the braille language so that, even the blind can read.
After Hazarama Temple, we visited the queen's bath. The place was huge. It was very beautiful, especially the garden beside it. The interesting fact is that even the bath area had extremely detailed carvings.
It's one of the few sites that has been left least damaged after the siege. The interesting fact is that all the 11 chambers are structurally symmetric. They follow a dome style architecture, having influences from Islamic architecture. However, the tower of the central hall resembles temple architecture. It was used to store the royal elephants. Metal hooks used to tie the elephants can still be observed from the inner roof.
It's been a long day, that we were extremely tired. We were so busy that we forgot the time. We realized that we haven't had our lunch until it was late afternoon. We were so tired, that we decided to continue the next day.
We met a Scottish girl, on the boat ride back. She is from Scotland but lives in Germany. To our astonishment, she too is an art student. It was interesting to talk to someone from the same background. She had a whole new perspective on Hampi. While everyone is busy observing the architecture style of buildings, she sees colors. It is interesting to find how various people have a different mindset towards a place. After spending some time together, we parted our ways and left back to the resort.
Vittala Temple.
Musical Pillars.
For some weird reason, even the ground fascinated me.
The first place that we visited is Vittala Temple. I was excited to see the musical pillar at Vittala temple, even before going to Hampi because I have heard a lot about it. I wanted to study more about how it was producing the sound. But to my dismay, the pillars were not open to the public since it was under reconstruction.
Stone Chariot. A not so Monolithic structure.
Stone Chariot - Front View.
Beside the Vittala temple, is the Stone chariot. It was so majestic and beautiful. The chariot had some deep carvings and was very detailed. No one could believe the amount of details it had. Even though it is called a stone chariot, it's actually a shrine built like a chariot. In mythology, Lord Vittala is an aspect of Lord Vishnu. Garuda is the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. The shrine is empty now though it once contained an icon of Lord Vishnu. In front of the chariot, two elephants are positioned as if they are pulling the chariot. Initially, instead of the elephants, horses were carved in that position. The elephants were attached later on. The tail and the rear legs of the horses can still be seen behind the elephant structures. An uncle that I met told me about this story of the stone chariot. A lot of other tourists were there as well. The place became crowded after a while.
Tour Guide.
We had over own pretend tour guide. He was following us throughout the temple complex. Even though we couldn't give him what he wanted, he continued to smile. It was fun listening to him. This is Ram and he is a tour guide. He sells travel maps as well as give private tours to interested parties. This is his only source of income.
Hazarama Temple.
Entrance.
Detailed Carving.
Telling a story.
Comic Strip.
Movement.
The Hallway.
The Lawn.
The next site we visited was the Hazara Rama Temple. In olden days, this temple was used only by the royal family. The temple is famous for the Ramayana stories that are carved on the walls of the temple. The walls tell a thousand stories from the epic poem Ramayana. It is located right at the center of the royal area.
Description of Hazara Rama Temple in Braille Translation.
The next strange thing that I observed in this temple is that, out of all the temples that I visited so far, in addition to Hindi, English, and Telugu translation, the description was translated to the braille language so that, even the blind can read.
Oh, I wish I was a Queen.
The Hallway.
After Hazarama Temple, we visited the queen's bath. The place was huge. It was very beautiful, especially the garden beside it. The interesting fact is that even the bath area had extremely detailed carvings.
Lotus Mahal.
The interesting fact about this is its unique architecture style. The building is shaped like a lotus and, hence the name. It is also known as Kamal Mahal. This structure is part of the Zenana Enclosure, a secluded area reserved for the royal ladies of the Vijayanagara empire. It is one of the few structures that still remains intact, even after the siege of the city. Since it's considered to be a protected site nowadays, the public is not allowed to enter.
Elephants Stable.
Sister's Stones.
There are many versions of folk lores associated with these boulders. The story goes like, 'Two sisters were cursed for ridiculing the place and converted into stones'. There are different versions on why they were cursed by the Gods. It's not exactly a monument but it attracts many tourists on the way to other temples in Hampi.
It's been a long day, that we were extremely tired. We were so busy that we forgot the time. We realized that we haven't had our lunch until it was late afternoon. We were so tired, that we decided to continue the next day.
We met a Scottish girl, on the boat ride back. She is from Scotland but lives in Germany. To our astonishment, she too is an art student. It was interesting to talk to someone from the same background. She had a whole new perspective on Hampi. While everyone is busy observing the architecture style of buildings, she sees colors. It is interesting to find how various people have a different mindset towards a place. After spending some time together, we parted our ways and left back to the resort.
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