Though original plan was to head to Kerala, due to the massive flood, we couldn’t travel.

I hate it when travel plans flop at the nick of time and I had to plan something new within a short time span.

So when I was looking for options, memories of a friend visiting Hampi in monsoon hit me back. After reading few articles about Hampi, we decided that we should go. 

When the thought of visiting the ruins of a powerful empire, which ruled India over 200 years is exhilarating, why stop yourself from experiencing it(even if ‘Accuweather’ predicted ‘Heavy rains’)?

Soak yourself in the boulder strewn landscape
The first thing I noticed on reaching Hampi was the boulder strewn landscape. No doubt that Hampi has a landscape like no other. With the little peeps of monsoon greenery amongst the boulders staggered all around, the landscape sure looked surreal. 

Ruins Ruins everywhere!
Not only the main Hampi tourist circle, ruins were almost everywhere. While driving from Hospet to Hampi, we saw lot of ruins which were not in tourist radar. While walking past places like this, I imagined how bustling this place would have been few centuries back and is now just a ruin.

Climb up the matanga hill for spell binding views
Climbing up Matanga hill in monsoon is not as easy as it would be in other times. With unpredictable showers and the slippery path that lead up the hill, we were scared to climb a certain stretch of the hill.

But the hike was all worth the effort for the spellbinding views it offered. Look at the dupe drone shot! An aerial view of Achutaraya temple from Matanga hill is such a spectacular view you can’t afford to miss.

South East Asia or India?
I remember seeing a picture of Angkor wat where the tree roots have intruded the temple ruins. When I saw this place, I couldn’t but compare the scene.

Look in awe at the architechtural beauty of Vittala temple
We couldn’t find the iconic stone chariot iconic enough as it was full of people taking selfie around it. But the temple and the carvings in the main mandapa was all worth the time. Don’t forget to look deeper for the interesting carvings in the Vittala temple!

Doesn’t this place remind you of famous ‘Lost city of Incas’?
When we climbed the ruined temple to have an aerial view of the place, we were awestruck at the views of the lost city. We couldn’t but compare the vista to the lost city of Incas in Machu Pichu. 

Lotus Mahal
With a pleasant mix of Islamic and Hindu architecture style, this Mahal is sure a photographer’s delight. Lotus Mahal was once used as a socializing area for the women folks in the royal family, which was left unscathed despite the attack on Hampi. As the structure resembles the petals of lotus, it is called as Lotus Mahal.

Elephant stables
With a well maintained lawn, this is one of the well preserved structures of Hampi. The royal elephants were housed inside these big chambers after the royal processions of the King back in era. It was colossal and worth exploring.

Imagine the grandeur of the then palaces
When elephants get such grand stables, imagining how majestic the residence(palace) of the King and Queen would have been, reminds me of the glorious era we had missed. There were only remains of it now though.

Step well or art?
No doubt that the creativity of people of that era had been exorbitant. Such artistic step well is a live example.

Hampi Bazaar then!
As soon as we started walking towards Matanga hill, the first thing which came to our view was this perfectly lined bazaar.

As my imagination usually runs wild while seeing the ruins of a city, I imagined how this bustling bazaar had now come to a standstill to let the pillars say stories of the bygone era.

Virupaksha temple
Dating back 1000 centuries, Virupaksha temple is one of the oldest temples of Hampi. Constructed in dravidian style, this temple is also the main landmark temple of Hampi.

The main gopura has a nine storeyed tower with a projection of cow horn shaped on its top.

When Sun played drama in Hemakuta hill!
As the rain settled, clouds made way for the sun to appear, the shrines of Hemakuta hill held a magical tune in the air. That splendid view of the shrines would stay in my heart forever.

Let rain play its magic in Hampi
Though every season has its own charm on Hampi, I don’t think I would have enjoyed Hampi in any other season as much as I enjoyed it in monsoon. The magic of rain on Hampi indeed made us fall more in love with it.

Watch the mighty Tungabadra river
I have never seen a river as ferocious as Tungabadra river. A place where I stood to capture a ruined bridge, was under water the very next day. Such was its ferociousness. We had to cancel our plan to stay in Hippie island because of flooding.

As the majestic river found it’s way through the boulder strewn mountains, it was indeed a sight to behold.

Beware of cheetahs        
I walked up a small cliff to get a panoramic view of Virupaksha temple alongside the raging Tungabadra river. I was suddenly ruffled by a sound of whistle. When I turned, I saw a security who was signaling me to come down. I walked towards him to be warned that there are cheetahs out there in the top and that the place is prohibited from trespassing.

Meander along with the other cows
When in Hampi, it is a common sight to find a herd of sheep or cows meandering and making use of the greener pastures of Hampi. Don’t be surprised when suddenly a herd of cows walk past you out of nowhere.

Let the care free vibe of Hampi surprise you
With hovering clouds above, scowling peacocks in the dense plantation, cows meandering (eating grass), perfect backdrop of boulder strewn hill, I swirled like a child in rain. No doubt that the care free vibe of Hampi bring the child in you.

Shop for Hampi’s metal and stone artefacts
The metal and stone artefacts make it a best souvenir to take back home, as they are basically replicas of Hampi ruins or Hampi lifestyle.

These are mostly found in carts near famous ruins like Vittala temple.

Cycle around the paddy fields, hopping from one ancient ruins to another
As I cycled around Hampi, the sun hid behind the clouds; a magical tune floated through the air; paddy fields swaying to the same tune, making the journey even more beautiful. We hired a cycle near “Virupaksha” temple and started riding it to our whims and fantasy with lot of pitstops along the way.

And then ultimately to lose your way
This was the fun part. We started from Virupaksha temple and meandered our way in cycle to Vittala temple in the pretense that there is a cycling path connecting Vittala temple to Virupaksha temple. How naive!

As we had little time in hand and not ready to take the same route, we ultimately climbed the steps of a small cliff(connecting both the temples), all along carrying our bikes. Phew!! Thanks to the people who helped us in tough stretches! Without them, I didn’t think we would have made it on time.

Hampi is a place where you can find the lost glory of a powerful empire. The vibe of this place is sure to cast a spell on every visitor who visits.

If I have to summarize my three days trip in one liner, I would say “I am sure spell bound by the grandeur of the lost city, mightiness of the Tungabadra river which indeed acts as a lifeline for the beautiful green paddy fields, carefreeness of the laid back life and the exquisite views after climbing a hill”