India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [331]
GETTING AROUND By Taxi & Auto-Rickshaw Hampi’s ruins cover 39 sq. km (15 sq. miles), and should be explored on wheels. Bicycles (for rent in Hampi Bazaar) are fine for the energetic, but only in winter. Taxis (Indicas around Rs 1,000 for a full day, without air-conditioning, or Qualis at Rs 1,800) or even auto-rickshaws (count on Rs 400–Rs 500) are better if you’d rather not deal with maps, heat, and dirt tracks. Do, however, get out on foot whenever you can to soak up the atmosphere.
EXPLORING THE RUINED CITY OF VIJAYANAGARA
For anyone with dreams of Indiana Jones–style adventuring, the Hampi ruins provide the perfect setting—an ancient city with isolated ruins scattered among impossibly balanced wind-smoothed boulders and immense stretches of verdant landscape. Listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site, various excavations have uncovered evidence to suggest that Vijayanagara was occupied as long ago as the 3rd-century-B.C. Mauryan era. During early medieval times, armies were regularly dispatched to the Deccan by the Delhi Sultanate as part of its campaign to establish an empire that would encompass the whole of India. During one such campaign in the early 14th century, the invading forces captured Harihara and Bukka, two princes of Warangal, and took them to Delhi, where they fell in with the Sultanate. This allegiance eventually saw Harihara being crowned king of the region that is today known as Hampi. In celebration, Harihara lay the foundations of Vijayanagara, his new capital, on the southern banks of the Tungabhadra. His brother, Bukka, succeeded him 20 years later and ensured widespread support by issuing an edict that granted all religions equal protection. The monarchs who followed extended patronage to all manner of artists, poets, philosophers, and academics, effectively making Vijayanagara a center of learning that, in its grandeur, captivated visitors from as far away as Arabia, Portugal, and Italy.
The kingdom reached its zenith during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya (1509–29), when international trade flourished under progressive commercial practices and foreign trade agreements. Early accounts of the city tell of its massive fortifications, broad boulevards, grand gateways, efficient irrigation systems, and splendid civic amenities. The kingdom of Vijayanagara fell in 1565 when five allied Deccan sultans laid siege to the city, which they then apparently ransacked—their soldiers looting, killing, and destroying at will.
While some of the individual ruins can only be visited upon purchase of a ticket, most of Hampi is a veritable free-for-all, with tame security in the form of a handful of guards at the major monuments. This means that you can mix and match your itinerary as you see fit, moving between the different locations in a taxi or—if you’re up for it—on a bicycle. Before you set off, pick up information or engage the services of an official guide from the government tourist office in Hampi. You can see Hampi’s highlights in a morning if you set out early enough. However, it’s spread over a vast area, and exploring can be quite exhausting, particularly in the midday heat—don’t overdo it, or even the most impressive monuments begin to look like more of the same. In fact, with Vitthala Temple now illuminated at night and plans afoot to light up more of Hampi’s main monuments, it may