Me at Hampi (Part-II)

Sasivekalu Ganesha

Kadlekalu Ganesha

(continued…2^nd day at Hampi) I’ve started the next day with the darshan of another huge monolithic idol of Lord Vinayaka called ‘Kadlekalu Ganesha’. At a distance of almost two kilo-metres towards Kamalapura, there are two small temples – Veerabhadra Swamy Temple and Chennakeshava Temple. A must visit place here is an underground Siva temple called Prasanna Virupaksha. Although not exactly under-ground, it is located on a slightly ditch-dug trench like platform. It is damaged but the mandapa has wonderful carvings.

Lotus Mahal

Elephant Stables

Another group of monuments including the Lotus Mahal and Elephant-Stables are located very far from here, slightly deviated from the road. To visit them, just like the Vittala temple, you got to buy a ticket. I was the first tourist of the day and it was a wonderful experience! Two watch towers guard the elaborate compound wall and in the centre are the gigantic, connected Elephant-Stables. Excavations are still going on around here and trespassing is prohibited at certain places. Farther northwards, there are many ruined Jain and Hindu temples with some of the finest carvings. At the exit point, there is a temple dedicated to SriRanga along with an inscription.

Hazara Ramalaya

Carvings inside Hazara Ramalaya

Hazara Ramalaya - purely on the basis of this temple alone, Hampi could have been declared a World Heritage Site! On the walls of this magnificent monument, there are terrific carvings – tales from Ramayana, perhaps the best in Vijayanagara! Time seems to stand still at this place and one full day is still not enough to appreciate the intricacy and expertise of these carvings. Turushkawada and a Masjid are to the south of this temple. A high-raised platform adorned with carvings of warriors and dancers called ‘Mahanavami Dibba’ used for social ceremonies along with a step well & the Queen’s Bath stand nearby. Finally, I’ve got to visit the ASI museum at Kamalapura. I’d advise to visit this museum first to have a broad idea about what to see at Hampi. En route, I saw an old temple dedicated to Anantasayana Mahavishnu temple between Kondanayakahalli and Hosapete. It was built by Sri Krishna DevaRaya, modeled on the basis of Srikakulandhra MahaVishnu temple. It isn’t properly maintained.

Dancers on Wall, Maha Navami Dibba

This is the end of my Hampi visit. As I took my more than uncomfortable but reserved seat on the Karnataka Sariga buss to Bijapur whose Sultans were once arch rivals of Vijayanagara, I was drenched in the grandeur of this once great city! It started raining heavily….or are they tears in my eyes!
 

Anantasayana Mahavishna Temple

On #Mytravels @ Hampi-Vijayanagara, 
11th-12th of June, 2019.