Out of this World: Hampi, India

Out of this World: Hampi, India



It’s
the middle of the night but I’m wide awake. I’m at
Bangalore Station, waiting for the night train to Hospet, the
closest stop to my final destination: Hampi.

Around me the station is alive with the clamour of countless
voices; some laugh and chatter in excited tones, others cry as they
say goodbye to loved ones.

The high-pitched calls of vendors selling chapati and chai tea
rise above the din; the aromas that come from their goods mingle
with incense and a hundred other implacable scents. Women in
brightly coloured saris catch my eye before disappearing into the
crowds. The night train arrives and the bustle of
the platform is amplified as I enter the close quarters of the
carriage. People get comfortable and share the food they’ve brought
with them. As the atmosphere settles, I drift into sleep punctuated
by fitful dreams of Hampi.

This ancient village straddles the Tungabhadra River. On one
side, bustling bazaars spread out before monuments and ruins that
date back to the Vijayanagara Empire. On the other side Hampi
Island is a more peaceful area with a number of guesthouses and
restaurants, and is the site where, after a bumpy tuk-tuk ride, I
arrive.

I waste no time, ditching my backpack at the guesthouse before
grabbing my camera and starting to explore. The scenery is surreal.
Regal palm trees contrast with massive red boulders that balance
atop each other as though they’ve fallen from the sky. Paddy fields
and banana plantations backdrop temples that rise imposingly from
the earth. In the nearby river, women wash their long, colourful
saris while men and children bathe and splash water at one another.
Some pilgrims relax on the banks; others gather around the ancient
monuments, their presence filling the air with an aura of spirituality and
tranquillity.

Studding the side of a hill, a cascade of boulders provides a
natural walkway to a sunset viewpoint. I make my way to the top and
find my spot. Accompanied by the sound of a guitar being played by
another traveller, I watch the sun set against the mystic landscape
and I am filled with a sense of peace and happiness. It’s not hard
to see why Hampi is often described as magical.

This isn’t a place where you’ll find trendy bars and restaurants
or lavish hotels. It’s a place of myth and legend where you can get
back to nature and immerse yourself in local culture. It’s an oasis
fixed in time and unlike any other place in this world.

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