Hampi, 2014

Ugra Narasimha, Hampi

When I sketch on paper and erase when I err, its easy to correct!!! How would one do so when they are carving the entire temple with stone and its immaculate. One can just look at the huge pillars and jaw drop with such precision and perfect composition. 

It was an amazing experience walking through the huge halls, with carved pillars and ceilings. The guide told us that the entire architecture used a lock mechanism which held the entire structure.

Vijaynagar empire must have been an amazing reign where, one can see the grandeur of the place, and when we get to know that the grains and spices were bargained for precious gold, gems… it must have been an era!! Vijaynagar kingdom was India's richest at that time, attracting traders from Persia and Portugal.

The famous iconic Hampi Chariot is a marvel to see. The intricate work on the chariot is unimaginable and defies perfection. 

Chariot, Hampi

We were lucky to witness ‘Laksha Deepotsava’ [a lakh lamps lit together] in front of the famous Virupaksha temple. It is done every year during Dasara. Apart from lighting lamps, there was beautiful rangolis that adorned the path in front of the temple. The entire ambiance change when the deities are brought on Palakki carried by the temple elephant and everyone gets a glimpse of the god and goddess.

To my experience, Hampi is definitely not in ruins, but, it's filled with richness in history….And takes one back to an imaginative land, as to how the kings and queens lived their life in this period!! 

I would always want to go back to Hampi, and absorb all the beauty and imagine how it would have been while the sculptors, artists, and architectures built the empire!! 

Vittala temple, Hampi