Unlimited Karnataka : Hampi - The Beautiful Ruins Part 2

Wandererz4life
May 12, 2024
4 min read

We were very excited to explore this beautiful place. On the 2nd day of sightseeing, we had breakfast in our hotel and left for sight-seeing at 9 A.M. We had planned to climb the Matanga Hill and started from there itself.

Monolithic Bull :

On the foot of the Matanga Hill, you find a Monolithic Bull standing with grace and pride. This Monolithic Bull is carved out of a single huge boulder and is placed on an elevated platform. The Bull is considered sacred and is Lord Shiva's vehicle and gatekeeper. Bull can also be seen in every Shiva temple at the entrance. This Monolithic Bull is situated exactly opposite Virupaksha temple at the end of Hampi bazar.

Matanga Hill :

We started to climb Matanga Hill and it took us around 1 hour to climb it but the view from above was worth the effort and sweat. You can have a bird's eye view of the whole Hampi from above and the view is absolutely mesmerizing. The climb is overall easy (Not Recommended for Senior Citizens) except the last part where you have to climb a big boulder and get to the top of it. Innumerable boulders, greenery and temple structure looked like a village from a fairy tale. We rested for half an hour at the top before starting our descent.

Achyutaraya temple :

On the way to Matanga Hill, you come across a beautiful temple named Achyutaraya temple. The main deity worshipped here is Lord Tiruvengalanatha who is the form of Lord Vishnu. This temple is not crowded as compared to other temples of Hampi since it is a little off the frequently travelled paths. The temple is secluded, artistic and surrounded by greenery which makes it a must visit place. The Achyutaraya temple was built under the rule of King Achyuta Deva Raya, one of the rulers of Vijaynagar empire and hence named after him. Even though the temple is in ruins, it doesn't lose its grandeur and elegance.

Tungabhadra River (coral ride)

You can experience a beautiful and serene coral ride in the river Tungabhadra after a tiring climb of Matanga Hill. The ride costs about Rs. 150 per person for a short distance and Rs. 300 for a long-distance ride. We did some shopping of miniature monuments of Hampi along the banks of the Tungabhadra River. These miniature monuments were made of stone and were carved out artistically and are a must have as souvenirs.

Bhadavalinga Temple:

Bhadavalinga is a temple dedicated to lord Shiva. The Shiva Linga is worshipped by the Shiva devotees in this temple. This Monolithic Shiv linga has a height of 3 meters and is made with black stone. The temple is open from above making it more attractive as the sunlight falls on it throughout the day. It is believed that the base of the ling is always submerged in water.

Lakshmi Narsimha temple :

Just beside the Bhadavalinga temple is the Lakshmi Narsimha temple. This temple is also open to the sky. The idol of Narshima is carved out of monolithic granite stone and is sitting on a coil of Adishesha. The original statue was of Narsimha along with goddess Lakshmi but the same was destroyed and now we can see only the statue of Narasimha.

Archaeological museum :

After visiting the Hemkuta temples, we visited the Archaeological Museum of Hampi. The museum showed us the history of Hampi or Vijaynagar empire. It is a must visit for all history lovers. Ancient monuments are preserved here with utmost care. It took us around 1-2 hours to explore the Museum.

Gopura Krishna temple

The Gopura Krishna temple was built to celebrate the victory of King Krishna Deva Raya over the Odisha king Gajapati. The temple had an idol of Balkrishna which is now part of a museum in Chennai. Krishna temple is artistically made with various sculptures and is located near Hampi Bazar. Only east part of the Gopura Temple exists whereas its west part contains figures of warriors, shields, elephants and probably depicts the war scene connected with Krishnadeva Raya’s Orissa campaign.

Tungabhadra Dam

After roaming the historic site of Hampi we went to Tungabhadra Dam, last leg of our trip. Tungabhadra Dam is around 23 kms from Hampi and we went in the evening to see the sunset and the light show. Once you reach the Dam premises, a bus takes you to the top till the view point of dam and while coming down you can either take the bus or come walking.

We returned back to our hotel and relaxed as next day we were leaving Hampi with memories of a life time.

Day 3

We check out from our hotel and said good bye to Hampi. On our next visit, we will plan to discover Anjaneya temple situated on Anjaneya Hill in Hampi which due to time constraints we could not cover up on this trip.

Tips :

Mathangga hill and Anjaneya hill are good hiking options and best places for sunset views. It is recommended to hire a guide who are readily available in the area as they tell you the history of Hampi.