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Hampi, Karnataka
Accomodation
How to reach there
Road: Buses run almost
hourly between Hampi Bazaar and Hospet.
Rail: Nearest railway
station is about 13 km from here at Hospet.
What to see
Hampi Bazaar:
The old Hampi Bazaar is now a bustling village. The village has
become something of a travellers' Mecca and is a superb place to
stay if you're not too concerned about minor luxuries.
The western side of Hampi Bazaar is the
most bustling area. Here you'll find a number of restaurants catering
for Western travellers, the Aspiration Stores which has a variety
of books as well as souvenirs The village is dominated by the Virupaksha
Temple. The temple is popular with Indian tourists.
Vittala Temple:
The Vittala Temple is situated two km away from Hampi bazaar. This
temple is a World Heritage Monument and is in a good state of preservation.
Although it was never finished or consecrated, the incredible sculptural
work of the Vittala Temple is of the highest standard and is the
pinnacle of Vijayanagar art. The outer pillars are known as the
musical pillars as they reverberate when tapped, although this practice
is being actively discouraged as the pillars are somewhat the worse
for wear. The stone chariot or cart in front of the temple is one
of the most photographed objects in this part of India; the wheels
even used to turn.
Royal Enclosure
Area: This area of Hampi is quite different from
the northern section in that there are nowhere near as many rounded
boulders littering the site - most have been used to make a mind-boggling
proliferation of beautifully executed stone walls. Within various
stone-walled enclosures here are the rest of Hampi's major attractions.
First up are the Lotus Mahal and the Elephant Stables. The former
is a delicately designed pavilion in a walled compound knpwn as
the Zanana Enclosure. The building gets its name from the lotus
bud carved in the centre of the domed and vaulted ceiling. The Elephant
Stables is a grand building with eleven doomed chambers for housing
the state elephants. Further south are the Royal Enclosure with
its various temples, the Underground Temple and the Queen's Bath.
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