Hampi – Time travel to the Vijayanagara Empire

09.09.2022

A new weekend is just around the corner! We are going to Hampi, a small town in the north of the state of Karnataka of great historical importance. For once, we will start our journey this Friday evening not by sleeper bus, but by night train. This weekend we are accompanied by Lohit, Pramoda and Sameer, whom we meet at the Bangalore Main Railway Station after a total of 1.5h ride with Uber and Metro through the evening traffic.

As we board the crowded train, our two friends from the Academy mention several times that we should be prepared for only little comfort. However, we don’t think much about it and see the simple, meager furnishings of our sleeping place as an exciting experience.

10.09.2022
Arriving in Hampi, Sameer, who’s hometown is here, by the way, takes us to a local restaurant for breakfast. Strengthened by Masala Dosa and Veg Fried Rice we then go to our homestay to check in.

After a short break, we all set off together to explore the many temples and monuments, but especially the unique landscape. The impressive buildings and ruins give us a good idea of the importance of Hampi several centuries ago. We learn from Sameer that the king of the Vijayanagara empire had reigned in Hampi. At a beautiful big river, which resembles the Rhine, we finish our tour for the time being with a cup of freshly pressed sugar cane juice. In the evening we all have dinner together before Sameer leaves us. After day one we are already very enthusiastic about Hampi and are already looking forward to tomorrow.

11.09.2022
Our day starts at 9 o’clock. Before we get to the highlight promised by Lohit and Pramoda, we drive back to a temple for which we didn’t have enough time yesterday. On the way we meet two of Lohit’s friends who are also just joining our group. Around noon we climb the 570 steps of the so-called Monkey Temple, the already mentioned highlight of the day! During the ascent we realize that we are not the only ones with this intention. The people, which we meet, are however very friendly as usual. Again and again we hear a kind of chanting: „Jai Shri Ram! – translated „Glory to lord Rama!“ After some initial hesitation, we also join in, much to the delight of our friends. At the top we are rewarded with a breathtaking view. Besides visiting the temple on top of the mountain, we also take a few pictures. Only a Maaza-drinking monkey tries to steal the show. To our explanation: Maaza is a (mango) fruit juice, which is primarily consumed by Sascha and Sandro in excess. With each purchase in the supermarket 2-3 bottles of it are meanwhile already obligation. Trending upwards…

After the descent, we meet our cab driver again, who drives us to a restaurant, where we take our, depending on how one wants to take it, „late lunch“ or „early dinner“. Apart from the delicious food, it is the cozy, beach bar-like atmosphere that gets extra points from us. We end the evening with a fountain light show in a nearby park before heading back to the train station and the train back to Bangalore. What remains are great conversations and unforgettable impressions of a fascinating and beautiful area around the city of Hampi.