The International Bazaar at Vijayanagar- Vijaya Vitthala Temple Complex

The Vijayanagar bazaar in the Krishnadevaraya’s times (around 1500 AD) was the second largest bazaar in the world, second only to the Egyptian bazaar, flaunted my local guide at the Vijaya Vitthala Temple, Hampi. While the veracity of this is moot what with the Egyptian highs related to the 3000-50 BC while Vijayanagar was centuries later, let’s not belittle his pride, for it is really becoming of the place!

Entrance gopuram to Vijaya Vitthala Main Temple

The pillars of the Hampi Bazaar leading up to the temple

The Vijaya Vitthala Complex, Hampi, and its famous bazaar whose operations are recorded meticulously in the inscriptions on the Temple and mantapas indicate an admirable cache of wealth, power, and yet the humility and largesse of its rulers. The ‘King’s Balance’ in the Vijaya Vitthala Complex where the king would weigh himself and give away the equivalent in gifts and rewards, is explicit of their famed benevolence.

The King's Balance- Hooks on top, and the inscription of the pious King and the Queens beneath it.

The large L-shaped pillared markets leading far out from the temple front exemplify the rich, thriving economy of those days. Their pride in success is evident as its activities are meticulously recorded on the wall carvings of the temple. Symbols of people of different ethnicities and countries bartering elephants, horses in exchange for jewels and riches in these markets, indicate a peaceful, multi-cultural society, known for its fame and was frequented by foreign travellers. “They are checking and counting the horse’s teeth before bartering it” pointed out my guide. He was an ASI-certified guide and his prowess further certified by my friendly and sporting local autowalla!

The Vijaya Vitthala temple complex is an exhaustive one, complete with all the facilities- public and royal baths, platforms for entertainment, markets for trade, resting and eating places, and places of worship and the main deity was Vitthala. The meaning of “Vitthala” as explained by singer Aruna Sairam when delivering a Marathi composition, stands for “Vitth” which is a brick and “Sthala” as in “a place or location”. It is said that when Krishna as Panduranga came to check in on the famed Pundalika for his loyalty and undivided service to his aged, invalid parents, Pundalika replied saying that he was busy and would come and meet him after he was done. Pundalika threw a brick and asked the guest to stand on it and wait. Thus, the name “Vitthala” to exemplify Krishna, a deity who commanded undivided faith and prayers.

The main parts to watch out for when you visit the complex include the Gejjala (Salangai or ghunghroo) Mantapa, Kaduregombe Mantapa, and a public bath opposite it. The Pushkarani or the royal bath with a mantapa for prayers, a long walkway with the famed bazaar on the right leading up to the main temple. A covered hall to the left of the main temple that is being meticulously restored for its fallen pillars, the main sanctum.

The main temple is itself large and intriguing, with the main gopuram (entrance structure atop the entryway), a Bhajana mantapa, a Tulsi mantapa, Deepa Sthambam and Homa kundam. The main idol of the sanctum is lost. The Musical Pillars is an engineering feat of those days that left me embarrassed of our flyovers with faults in the joints in sections and water dripping and scarring the road beneath it. The guide certifies that the pillars are not hollow; just the minute, carefully-engineered differences in their thicknesses and position of elements on the pillars that generate music, which can be heard afar when played.  

The Musical Pillars, Vijaya Vitthala Temple, Hampi

The Ratha

Remains of original colours on the Ratha

Back and out of the main temple, as you go clockwise around it, is the King’s Balance, a Vishnu temple behind with inscriptions in old Kannada, a gopuram over the exit to the right of the main sanctum, the famous stone chariot (a monolith Ratha), and a temple far-removed from the main temple and to your left as you complete the outer round of the main sanctum. This sanctum (Sannadhi) is curiously guarded by an Indian one side and a Mongol on the other side! It carries a rich cache of carvings of horse-drawn chariots, wars and such. The numbered bricks in this hall and the sanctum indicate a meticulous restoration. Intriguingly, the hall is outstanding for its angular approach pillars!

The entire complex is a long walk with items of interest all around. It’s best to walk up and around while going in and using the battery car service to drop you at the entrance on your way out. It’s best to hire a guide to point out the main structures and the details of the ratha, though they usually pepper it with their imagination! And a good 2-5 hours to see and relish the complex, depending upon the depth of your interest from a casual one to a sheer, mouth-aghast one leading you to devour the details in its entirety. I visited it a second time as I didn’t want to miss out anything!

The Vishnu temple with inscriptions in old Kannada, Behind the main temple, Vijaya VItthala Complex 

There is an entrance fee for this complex that allows entry into the Kamalapur Archaeological Museum and the Zenana enclosure. The Museum leaves a lot of gaps in information for a museum enthusiast.

A local, well-informed auto guy and my buddy who effortlessly planned my itinerary for all the five days of my stay, if you are interested, is Ganesh 94820 53289.                                                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                     

Vested interests grab invaluable national heritage property in the erstwhile royal capital of the Vinayagar Dynasty - Anegundi, near Hampi

The priceless, though not a popularly visited site on a trip to Hampi is the Anegundi Cave

drawings. It is located at around 20 km from the Hampi bus stand by road which is
winding along the Tungabhadra river over the bridge and through verdant paddy and
sugarcane fields. The drawings have been studied and dated to 1500 BC and experts
have indicated a similarity to the Indus Valley Harappan drawings.

As old as the Egyptian paintings, it was clearly open to visits by informed travellers and
it carried an ASI Protected Monument board at the entrance, even up to three months
ago when my local conveyance guide had brought over tourists. Today, it left him and
me stumped and feeling helpless. The ASI board removed, a locked gate which had
read “Private Property” earlier was clearly masked with white paint indicating that the
person has been informed by the authorities or has realised that the place CANNOT be
private property. We spent over an hour calling out loudly, banging the door hoping to be
heard and allowed to approach the premises, to no avail. Back on the main road, we
attempted another approach as shown in Google maps, which indicated that both the
approaches were 200-250m from the point of interest. This was steeper and involved a
more dangerous climb onto larger rocks. A concerned local indicated that people from
the property would normally leave for lunch at around 1pm from the earlier entry gate and
suggested we go back and wait it out. We spent an hour, way over 1pm, hoping to spot
someone from inside and maybe get a chance to view the cave drawing.

Anegundi cave carvings

Why should we have waited, why should we return disappointed from an obviously public,
protected property? Where were the authorities and did they know about this development,
were angry thoughts going through our minds as my guide dug around in his mobile and
showed me pictures of the cave drawings that he took in his last visit. He was definitely a
lot more disappointed that he couldn't take me there as he was clearly in awe of those

Anegundi Cave carving-similar to Harappan carvings

drawings and intelligent enough to realise how much it would matter to informed visitors.

In a spate of anger and disappointment, we informed the concerned authorities and hope
for immediate action against the perpetrator.

Buddhist Caves around Lonavla

Lonavla is ideally a hill station and popular in the rainy season with lovely views, fun trekking and lots of good local food. Well, that's what local hosts expect of tourists and frequenters from nearabouts to come there for.

I was a dapper for my simple, lovely-natured autowalla with whom I struck off on the first day outside the Lonavla station itself. Local, and familiar with all interesting things to do/see, and completely adept at predicting the daily vagaries of nature, as in, rains will become heavier/lighter, can we catch views or will clouds cover up the different peaks, and all such details that a visitor may get bogged with, I had it all laid out conveniently by this amazing man! I did get a few looks from him the first day, when at the end of a visit to the popular Karla Caves I told him the names of two other caves I wanted to go and kept bugging him on wanting to visit Shivaji's Lohgarh fort, which apparently is not frequently done in tour rounds and so the location may be desolated.

Well, I persisted on my requests in a nice way while respecting his local info, while he was adventurous and decided to check it out, after all, what with a nagging customer and it was a whole new revelation to both of us and a fantastic friendship was struck!

Karla caves and Ekvira Devi Temple

My autowalla dropped me off at the parking lot of the temple and the caves (located next to

each other) and told me its just a temple and a cave and it would take about 10 minutes. He

was completely bugged up when I landed there one and a half hours later...I was feeling

guilty too!

From where the road ends it is a good half an hour's climb up. Not tough to cover, a lot of

footfall and so climbing company too.

Ekvira Devi Temple is held is high faith by the local fishermen community, the Kolis of the area. On certain occasions, they walk from home in a procession singing and carrying items

of worship for the Devi and climb up to to the temple, often barefoot and irrespective of the weather. 

A local belief is that it was built by Pandavas during their exile when the Devi appeared before them and asked them to do so. Pleased with their faith and the temple

having been built overnight the Devi is believed to have granted them the boon that they

wouldn't be identified during their exile in the forest.

Karla caves estimated to have been made in the 2nd century BC is one of several such

caves that were built in those days for Buddhist who travelled all over and would often sit in

penance for over several years. Cave temple with rooms for stay and a dias for penance and stupas were cut out of rock faces, up in the mountains, away from local riffraff, protected from the rains so they the Buddhist yogis could peacefully pursue their life's purpose. 

The Hindu Theatre Fest, Bangalore 2018

It started on August 17, 2018, with a selection of three exclusive plays, the first of which was “Aurat, Aurat, Aurat" directed by Naseeruddin Shah. 

The place was abuzz with excitement, expectations high from the director and actors’ game, and with big names like The Hindu providing the platform.

Aurat, Aurat, Aurat: The play was on a very commonplace topic. One that’s been beaten black and blue across various mediums. Though still relevant after two odd generations of war against it, it’s still a little too mundane.

In the presentation of the subject, the story of Ismat Chughtai was good, though the dialogues were verbose. The brilliant acting added a little merriment and lightened up the otherwise beaten topic.  

Most importantly, it was predominantly an Urdu play, not one of the common Hindi spoken and oft-familiar language. So it is very likely that many in the audience would have missed the nuances of the story, that were presented is such a lovely jovial way by the actors.

The other two, much to the delight of all were lighter, and more easily enjoyable plays by women directors, with convenient subtitles cast high up on the stage backdrop which allowed for ease of watching the acting and occasionally catching up with the essence of the repartee. The language barrier was overcome, and so casually.