Hampi- now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, earlier an imperial city and the capital of the powerful and prosperous Vijaynagar Empire during the Middle Ages.
So much has been written about the place already that anything I pen down would be mere repetition. And not a very good one either.
There is a lot to see and discover among the ruins of Hampi and in my three day visit I could only skim the surface. Fortunately, we had a guide who was a walking-talking encyclopedia of history and mythology and also possessed a fund of interesting snippets about the place that he let drop from time to time.
So, without further ado, here are just some of the discoveries I made-
- All those days I spent during my childhood, devouring Amar Chitra Kathas finally paid off. I was spared many ‘huh?’/’duh!’ moments as our guide rattled off names and anecdotes.
- Good old Doordarshan did me a huge favour by telecasting ‘Ramayana’ every Sunday. My recollections of those episodes, some fleeting, some vivid, helped me recognize the scenes depicted in the many carvings on the temple walls and pillars.
- An overactive imagination can be a real blessing! As we wandered the ruins, we could picture the kind of lives the people of Vijaynagar must have led, and I felt a deep sense of awe and gratitude for all they had left behind for us to marvel at.
- One explanation for the large number of monkeys we saw there, was that Hampi is considered to be the site of the Kishkinda Vanara Kingdom, where Ram and Lakshman stayed, met Hanuman, Vali and Sugreeva (thank you, Mr Ramanand Sagar!) during their quest to rescue Sita. The monkeys scampered fearlessly about the temples but refused to pose for pictures and definitely avoided selfies. Seen up close however, they did provide many an amusing insight into the ways of our other ancestors!
- It’s very true- the more we know; the more we realize how little we know. About our history, our ancestors and their legacy to us- our heritage.
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