Hampi - The hidden treasure

Hampe or Hampi, once the capital of Vijayanagar dynasty situated in the bank of river tungabadra has many story in its kitty for the visitors. In the era of Vijayanagar dynasty it was the house for worlds most famous literature's and sculptors, however it is now indebted to World heritage center for its preservation of monuments and temples. The inscription on monuments and temples signifies its past glory and stands tall amid of today's advanced science and technology and pose a stiff challenge for the present generation.
My recent trip to hampi will not be a guide, instead it is an experience on the land which was ruled by vijayanagar rulers and took it to a height of indefinite prosperous.
The present Hampi is pretty accessible from ground and rail transports. The nearest railway station is hospet. Boarding and lodging are plenty in hospet. Well, one could see couple of resorts nearby. I with my couple of friends did land in hospet via hampi express from bangalore stayed in a Pai residency at hospet and hired a taxi to roam around the place.
The History of Hampi is well told by the authorized guides from the karnataka tourist department. Any first time visitor should hire a guide otherwise its a meaningless to waste your time in between those mighty boulders. The architecture depicts the rich culture and tradition of the various rulers and the commitment for the uplift of their people. We started off our journey under the bright sunlight at 9.00 AM, After picking up a guide the first stop was the famous Virupaksha temple standing tall in the middle of hampi. The temple is magnificent and echos the rich culture and tradition of the Vijayanagar empire.
The ruined hampi would still surprise anyone when the Virupaksha temple was untouched from the attacks. Surprisingly the temple is spared from the invaders who ransacked the whole city before looting all its wealth. An interesting point of note is an inverted image of temple's Gopura is reflected on the wall of the temple could be a best example for the technology excellence of those days. The sculptor and painting on the corridors cannot go unnoticed. The colors are created using the herbs which are non toxic and ever lasting provides a greater sense of quality of their work.
Hampi is house for various monuments and temples. The pillars of the monuments are scripted which emits the significance of culture of those era. The craftsmanship would have been worlds best and could have taken years of dedication and commitment to get those shapes. The archeological department of India have been working hard to preserve these artifacts however one never knows whats still hidden beneath the place.
Sashivekaalu Ganesha, Kadalekaalu Ganesha Laxminarashimma statues are restructured and protected by archelogical department of india.Some of the monuments were unearthed during the recent evacuation. Each monuments were constructed as sign of victory and created a path of success and dominance by the vijayanagara rulers.
Years are passed by and and hampi is still a mystery for the archeologist. The layout of city's market place signifies the importance of trading business by the vijayanagar rulers. The pachyderm shed and the queens summer palace are simply marvelous. One would require minimum of three days to briefly explore hampi, Such a land of treasure still remains a haunted place for many.