Our trip to this beautiful city of Hampi was an unplanned one. A previously planned trip got cancelled at the last moment and while searching for other quick getaways, Hampi presented itself as an option.

Our family tour started from Visakhapatnam. There are no stations in Hampi and one has to reach Hospet, which is the nearest station. Since it was a last-minute plan, we couldn’t get the tickets on the direct train available from Vskp to Hospet. So, we took a train to Vijayawada and then another train from Vijayawada to Hampi.

We took an early morning train from Visakhapatnam and reached Vijayawada around noon. We had our lunch and taking the advantage of time in hand, we went for a darshan of Vijayawada temple. It was a great experience to visit the holy temple of goddess Durga. After the darshan, we went back to the station and waited for our train to arrive. We got on the train to Hospet in the evening. The journey to Hospet was an overnight one and we had a good night’s sleep.

We reached Hospet in the early morning and checked into our hotel. One can find many autowalas right outside the station, asking about the tour of Hampi. Alternatively, there are travel desks in the hotels, which help with the sightseeing. We prefered the autowala and after having our breakfast proceeded to Hampi.

The sightseeing in Hampi is divided into South Hampi and North Hampi. All the ruins of the erstwhile Vijayanagara empire are there in the South Hampi whereas the North Hampi is famous for Anjanadri hill and the sonapet lake.

On the first day, we visited the South Hampi. Since Hampi is a historical city, having a guide for explaining its significance is preferred. One can find the guides on the way to Hampi. Our tour started with the visit to Vinayak and Virupaksha temple.

Virupaksha temple

The temple is a huge one and is known for its grandeur. Do not miss seeking the blessings of the temple elephant Lakshmi. The temple is still a functioning one and prayers are held to the deity. The paintings on the ceiling in the mandapa arouse the curiosity of the art admirers.

Sasivekalu and Kadalekalu Ganesha

These two monolithic monuments of Ganesha are situated close to each other. Sasivekalu Ganesha is almost 2.4mts in height and is sculpted in the shape of a mustard seed which is known as sasivekalu in kannada language. The kadelakalu Ganesha idol is almost 4.5 mts in height. The word kadelakalu means gram seed in kannada language.

Vitthala temple

This is one of the most prominent places in Hampi. It indicates the greatest workmanship which flourished during the Vijayanagara times. The temple complex is home to many mandapas, pradakshina prakaras, and sculptures.

Prasanna Virupaksha temple

This is an underground shiva temple. The central portion here is immersed in water and the entire aura of the premises gives a different feeling to the visitors.

Narasimha statue

There is a huge monolithic statue of Lord Narasimha which is a must-watch in Hampi. The sculpture is around 6.7 mts in height. Swami is seen along with his consort Goddess Lakshmi whose image has been partially mutilated now.

Badavi Linga

Close to the Narasimha statue is badavi linga which is a huge monolithic Shiva linga. It is 3 mts in height and the linga is always immersed in water.

Lotus Mahal

Another famous structure in Hampi is the lotus mahal. It has an Indo- Islamic style of architecture and is a visual treat to the tourists.

Elephant Stables

These are the series of elephant chambers, totaling eleven. Each of the chambers is adorned with a different style of the dome.

Mahanavami Dibba

This is an elevated platform on which the king used to sit and watch the festivities during the Dasara festival. The top portion of the platform can be accessed through a flight of steps.

While moving around all these places, one can watch the Queen’s bath, sisters’ boulders, bazaars, and many other architectural wonders.

After witnessing the beautiful sunset from the mahanavami dibba, we decided to call it a day.

The second day started with an early morning visit to Malyavantha Parvatha where we witnessed the sunrise. The path to the hilltop is not properly lit and one needs to be careful while treading the path. However, the rising of the sun accompanied by the chirping of the birds and a cool breeze would more than make up for the efforts put.

Raghunathaswamy temple is located there itself. According to the tradition, Rama while in exile travelled to this place. A large number of small shivalingas can be seen here.

Next, we went to the Kodanda Rama temple which is located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. The Sugriva cave is located on the way to the kodanda Rama temple. Here in the cave, one can find an imprint which is considered as Siteya Seragu or drapery by the locals.

The next destination was the famous Anjanadri Parvata.

Anjanadri

On the top of this hill, the hanuman temple is located. It can be reached through a flight of steps. It is believed that Anjanadevi, the mother of Hanuman lived here. The hill derived its name after her. The climb uphill is not an easy one and, in some areas, the pathways are too narrow. From the top of the hill, one can witness the entire place.

Sanapur Lake

This lake is mostly famous for the coracle rides which are considered to be unique to Hampi. A coracle is a small round boat made of bamboo. Every visitor to Hampi craves this coracle ride since it is a thrilling experience.

With the coracle ride, our trip came to end. Since it was a short trip of two days, we missed out on a few places like Matanga hill and Tungabhadra dam. However, most of the famous and well-known places of Hampi could be easily covered in 2-3 days.

Lastly, do not forget to try the famous dish known as uggani here. This is a delicious and simple dish made from puffed rice.

The budget for the trip to Hampi is quite less and one gets to experience the grandeur of a UNESCO World Heritage site with minimum budget. The local commuting stays as well as food is reasonably priced and doesn’t make a dent in ones’ pocket.