Wrecked Balance

Anegundi. Having visited Hampi, today was about the older kin - Anegundi.

A memory that connects the younger to the older is the Kishkinda Old Bridge which reminded me of the Acropolis of Athens only because of the pillared structures. It surely may not be the most felicitous comparison but both are similar looking preserved ruins at the end of the day! 

This town too was an auto ride away from our resort. First impressions were of a naive, native village with small colorful houses, small temples, chickens running by, cats and dogs beings themselves, cattle grazing and basking in the sun (which for us was 32 degree C of hot air; not the most enjoyable weather) and locals doing their chores - a landscape which to me was questionable of its visual and attractive offerings. I soon realized there was much more than a village.

We walked through the narrow winding streets, in the midst of all the possible domestic animals found, which for me wasn't quite a pleasing experience. However witnessing people doing their chores like drying chilies, making banana fibre ropes and kids amusing at us was fun enough to cover up the earthy stench and the presence of living beings other than humans. This led the way to the river bank where a boat awaited to ferry us across to the opposite side. We rode through dark green waters doted with huge wild grass and watercress all around, looking like a mangrove; reminding me of the dense growth of water plants in the Sundarbans. The other side was a beauty in simplicity. Just rocks of varying sizes, a clear water stream running through highlighted with patches of greenery. A sight at such a landscape is worth the long walk under the piercing heat; it is all that photographic beauty demands with a bounty of inner serenity. Walking through the rocks that changed sizes into now being called boulders, we reached the top which had a Samadhi or burning ground where great saints were burnt. This was not much of a delight but the walk back to the bank was equally satisfying. 

Reaching back to the village, we walked to Chintamani, an old fort on the other side. All that one can do here is sit, rest and get an overview of Anegundi. Two days of walk combined into half a day, we now headed for lunch in the not-so desirest of places; it was a humble south Indian lunch served on banana leaf. Following the lunch we headed back to the resort.

I call Anegundi the Wrecked Balance because this town has everything wrecked, whether its the old huts, temples, fort, rocks but still I find a balance in all of it; the wrecked huts painted in perfect color combinations or the narrow stream of water running though the wide boulders. There is beauty in the balance.

The highlight of the day was having a night campfire, garnished with ghost stories, games and uninhibited sharing of experiences; not forgetting the beautiful landscape of Anegundi.

Temple

River & Rocks

Lunch

Wild sugarcane grass

Boat ride

Kishkinda Old Bridge

The First Sight, Still rolling In Mind

Our first day in Hampi started with the ever so fixed breakfast when one is in South India - coffee and dosa. That was the fuel to keep us running atleast for half the day.
A bus ride till a street with narrow roads, lined shops, paddy fields and greater numbers of non-Indians reminded me of the charm of old Goa. Walking further, this notion was changed by the static view of the temple tops,stepped slopes, morning chants, coconut trees, wild sugarcane grass dancing with the wind and the ever flowing waters of Tungabhadra running by. None could stop capturing the view as we waited for a boat to ferry us across to the next land, which was Hampi.
Reaching Virupaksha temple, I couldn't stop gazing at the monumentous structure that lay in front. This piece was a carnival of carvings. Mesmerized by its beauty, I didn't gauge how much of a walk I had in store today. Getting a glimpse of the temple inside out, we headed to Matanga hill and the Hemakunta groups of temples. A hill so steep, looking back wasn't an option.
This half day walk amounted to a day's walking without food, so for re-fueling ourselves we went to Mango Tree restaurant. This place gave vibes of a very relaxed mind and body because of its nomadic ambiance and seating. The humble lunch was followed by cycle ride to the monolithic Bull temple - a magnanimous carving out of a single rock. As exciting as the cycle ride was, ''carrying'' the cycle all the way up on a steep slope was equally horrifying. A series of smaller temples, the Narasimha statue trailed along.
 A ride back to the resort on autos that could seat eight people at a time in a flip-back fashion was exciting when everyone rushed to get a seat at the back. Horrible lime sodas,forever pursuing guides, adventure amounting to two days of exercise and watching the uncontrolled, uninhibited joy of riding a cycle on a slope without a break was all that the first day had to give!

 

Tungabhadra Bank

Gopura of Virupaksha Temple

Virupaksha Temple

Matanga Hill

Owners of the land

Monolithic Bull

Narasimha Statue

Hampi Overview

Hampi is a fanatasy world of rocks and ruins. Its charm lies in the dullness; a story moving in the stillness.

My experience in Hampi has been a gradual journey through the rocks and ruins. The first couple of days were spent in seeing more than knowing from the perspective of a vacationist. Following that were days of researching, talking, seeing and knowing from informative perspective and the final couplet was spent as a local knowing all the streets, the people and visiting back and forth to sink into the history even more. Every experience in this place reminded me of connections with the most unexpected things and can be found in my following writings.

This city has so much more than rocks and temples. The only thing needed to see through is a deeper perspective. My journey is a book and every day is a page turned. With a new page is a new story. Hampi has temples,rocks, ruins, people,culture,art and countless stories to tell. I have been successful in getting a varied palette of experience from this land. For me, there has been a lot of learning through people,knowing history through carvings and gathering answers to my curiosity. It has been an ethereal experience to step into the land that has witnessed centuries of textbook history. I have seen much more than I went expecting but the highlight has been the way I experienced it - talking to strangers, re-visiting the same place more than even a local and the perseverance I learnt to gather stories.

At the end of my trip, I feel I have found the colors to paint Hampi where the world had left it grey.