The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hampi, Karnataka was the illustrious capital of the erstwhile Vijayanagara empire before it was plundered by the Deccan Sultanates and abandoned in the 16th century. Today a large group of stunning Dravidian temples and palaces are all that remain of the last great Hindu kingdom of India. Their majesty continues to draw curious travellers the world over. SHIKHA PUSHPAN decides to take a bicycle ride through the ruins to unlock some of their many secrets.
WHAT IS TODAY earmarked as an anicent village in Karnataka in southern India was once twice the size of Paris and the second largest city in the world after Beijing. Hampi was the celebrated capital of the Vijayanagara empire, which created an epoch in the Deccan plateau or southern region of India from the mid-14th to 17th century with its efficient administration, vigorous overseas trade, and an unprecedented adulation for arts and literature. The traces of the Vijayanagara craftsmen’s architectural brilliance can be traced across Hampi’s boulder-strewn landscape.
A few miles away from these ruins sits the Evolve Back Kamalapura Palace, Hampi, my base for the trip, and an extension of Vijayanagara architecture. With a gearless cycle, a jumbo tumbler, SPF50 sunscreen, and a sunshade hat, I set out to navigate the arid landscape of Hampi and unravel its many secrets, one stop at a time.
Day1
7:AM
STORIES IN STONES
This story is from the July - August 2019 edition of Discover India.
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This story is from the July - August 2019 edition of Discover India.
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