Hampi: how to explore the temples and ruins of ancient Indian village in a weekend
- Part of the legendary Vijayanagar empire, Hampi was once a prosperous city, and its shrines, monuments and forts bear witness to centuries of history
- It has always been on the radar of travellers, but a new airport nearby and luxury hotel openings have put it on the global travel map
The colour of Hampi is sepia. It’s not the soft sepia of old photographs, but a deep brown that seeps into all your senses and dulls them after a while.
It is the colour of the dry earth, the imposing hills and the precarious rocks of the region. It is also the colour of the temples, monuments and ruins that this ancient village in South India is famous for.
The stones in Hampi bear witness to centuries of history; both the glorious triumphs of succeeding rulers as well as the destruction wreaked by nature and by invaders.
Standing among the ruins, one wonders what local chieftains Hakka and Bukka, founders of the prosperous Vijayanagar empire, must have seen in the miles of barren, rocky land to inspire them to build their kingdom there in the early 1300s.
Sprawled over a large and hilly area, Hampi has always been on the radar of discerning travellers from both within and outside India, but a new airport near the town and a few luxury hotel openings have put it on the global travel map this year.
After a visit to the kingdom in 1520, Portuguese trader Domingo Paes is believed to have written that Hampi was as large as Rome, but even from the top of a hill, “I could not see it all because it lies between several ranges of hills.” It is, however, possible to take in all its highlights in a weekend. Here’s our recommended itinerary.