Chandratal Lake: Guide to the magnificient lake of Spiti Valley
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Chandratal Lake: Guide to the magnificient lake of Spiti Valley
Chandratal Lake – the most awaited part
₹ 25000
Hampi – The lost city
Would you like to explore Hampi, the ‘lost city of India’, and get to know about the rich ancient History of the other beautiful destinations too?
Karnataka
Starts: from Bangalore
Ends: at Bangalore
Type: Mixed Gender
Dates
Start: 7 AM, 11 Jan 2024
End: 8 PM, 14 Jan 2024
₹ 24000
About the Tour
During this trip, you visit many ancient architectural destinations, some of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites. You get to unearth the stories that have come alive through the ruins, cave temples, chariots, step-wells, etc which are definitely worth a visit!
Hampi is not just another ancient touristy village, but it’s a story and an emotion that can only be felt while wandering through this city of ruins. Because of its ancient temples, forts, and other monuments, Hampi is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site. It’s like a historic gold mine for architecture buffs! It is also known as the “lost city” while being a historical delight for visitors. It is home to 500 ancient monuments, gorgeous temples, thriving street markets, bastions, the Vijayanagar Empire’s treasury building, and captivating remains.
Hampi, situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, is renowned for its enormous, intricately carved temples, particularly the Virupaksha Temple, devoted solely to the empire’s patron deity. While its spectacular architecture is its claim to fame, Hampi’s landscape is equally fascinating. Quotes from books written by several travel writers of the time can be found in the Hampi Archeological Museum!
Did you know that you can find singing columns in Hampi? The Hampi saregama pillars at Vittala Temple are famous for their melody. When lightly tapped, these stone pillars produce a musical tune. When the pillars are struck, they produce 7 notes out of each instrument they represent.
Around 1500 AD, Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire and, according to some accounts, the second-biggest city in the world. The terrain surrounding Hampi is as mysterious as the ruins themselves – the town is surrounded by boulders of various sizes, and you can reach the top of them with little effort to get a breathtaking view of the city and the geography.
While going on a trip to Hampi, we also get to explore Badami, Pattdakal, and Aihole.
Badami, founded by the Chalukyas, is a tourist destination in India that can steal your heart in fractions of a second. Badami cave temples were constructed out of red sandstone from the hills and are among the most ancient monuments in our country. They are regarded as the epitome of outstanding Indian rock-cut architecture, particularly Badami Chalukya architecture.
Pattadakal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its ornately sculptured temples. Pattadakal’s temples attest to the lushness and unchanging radiance of Chalukyan architecture. It has a cluster of ten major temples with notable architectural features. The Temple of Virupaksha, built around 740 by Queen Lokamahadevi to memorialize her husband’s triumph over the kings of the South, stands out among the group. Pattadakal is a must-visit destination you get to explore during the Hampi trip.
Aihole, known as the “cradle of Hindu/Dravidian temple architecture,” is a peaceful village on the banks of the Malaprabha River. A temple can be found on every street corner in the village. Did you know it has around 125 stone temples dating back to the 5th century? The most notable is the Durga Temple, which features a funnel-shaped apse, a raised plinth, and a gallery encompassing the sanctum. The Lad Khan Temple is among the first Hindu temples to display iconography from the Shaiva, Vaishnava, and Shakti traditions.
Trip Highlights
1. Virupaksha Temple
Virupaksha Temple located in Hampi has long been regarded as the holiest pilgrimage site. The renowned Virupaksha temple is well-known for its architecture, and rich history, as well as temple festivals, which are celebrated with great pomp and gaiety. The River Tungabhadra flows nearby and represents the temple’s divine nature. The Virupakasha temple is adorned with numerous beautiful mandapams. The temple contains a shrine or holy worship site, a hall with many pillars, and three antechambers. The temple is surrounded by courtyards, a pillared monastery, several small shrines, and entranceways.
Did you know it’s the sole temple in India with a triple-headed Nandi?
2. Vittala Temple
The Vittala temple, known as the epicenter of Hampi’s attractions, is a work of art in terms of splendor and design. Words cannot express how beautiful this location is. This temple’s sprawling compound contains pavilions, halls, and numerous temples. The iconic temple features incredible stone buildings such as the unrivaled stone chariot and the intriguing musical pillars. When the pillars are struck by sandalwood, they emit melodic sounds similar to SaReGaMa.
Did you know that the emission of musical notes from stone pillars has long been a mystery that has captivated many people?
This temple in Hampi attracts visitors from all over the world and is one of the most exciting destinations on this trip.
3. Krishna Temple
One of the must-see attractions in Hampi is the Krishna temple. The temple is stunning, with sculptures and carvings of Krishna, or Lord Vishnu, in varied incarnations adorning every wall and pillar. Krishnadevaraya built this temple to mark the anniversary of the accomplishments of his Orissa campaign. It is believed that he returned with an idol of Bala Krishna, the child, which is now housed in this temple.
There are depictions of the Dashavatar, Vishnu’s ten incarnations, as well as depictions from the Ramayana and the Krishna Leela. The carvings on the pillars are especially impressive, as are the entryways to the temple hall, which are flanged with remarkable sculptures of elephant balustrades.
4. Lakshmi Narasimha Temple
The Lakshmi Narasimha statue is among the most impressive sculptures in Hampi’s ruined town. The statue can be found on the southern side of the Hemakuta group of temples on Hemakuta Hill.
Did you know that the sculpture is notable for being the biggest monolith statue in Hampi? This monolith idol is seated on Adishesha’s coil. This statue beautifully demonstrates the skill of the ancient artisans!
The original sculpture featured a small figure of Goddess Lakshmi, Narasimha’s courtier, sitting on his lap. During the heist by the Mughal rulers that resulted in the destruction of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1565 A.D., the massive statue was vandalized and mutilated.
5. Badavilinga Temple
Hampi’s largest monolithic Shiva Lingam can be found at the Badavilinga Temple! The Shiva Lingam has three eyes carved in line carving which apparently represents Lord Shiva’s three eyes. The Lingam is housed within a small stone chamber. Devotees can enter the chamber through a singular opening right in front of it. The lack of a ceiling in the stone chamber is a fascinating design feature. During the day, sunlight reaches through the opening of the ceiling and illuminates the Shiva Linga.
It is believed that during the Vijayanagar Empire in the 15th century, a fifteen-year-old girl built this temple on her own dime. The temple has been named after it, with Badva referring to poverty and Linga referring to Shiva.
6. Mustard Ganesha
Hampi is famous for its majestic temples, one of which is the Sasivekalu Ganesha temple. The Sasivekalu Ganesha Temple features a massive statue of Lord Ganesha carved from a single block of rock. It is a significant monument in Hampi. Sasivekalu Ganesha stands approximately 8 feet (2.5 meters) tall. The Ganesha is depicted with four arms in a half-lotus position. The lower left hand and trunk of the statue are broken, and the deity’s stomach is tied with a snake. According to legend, Lord Ganesha ended up eating too much and had to tie a snake all around his belly to keep it from bursting! A huge mandapa surrounds the statue just at the top, with a rough wall covering the pillars.
7. Lotus Mahal
One of the best-preserved chivalry structures in Hampi is the Lotus Palace. It is said that the Queen of Krishna Deva Raya used to spend her summers here. The ladies of the empire spent their spare time here as well.
It is among the fine architecturally designed palaces that are distinguished by its lotus-like structure. Lotus Palace has three stories, an open design with long corridors, 24 pillars, and no walls. Its pillars and arches are ornately carved. The architecture of the Lotus Mahal is a combination of Indian and Islamic design elements.
Lotus Palace is not only an engineering marvel, but it is also quite eye-catching.
8. Elephant Stables
The Elephant Stable in Hampi is a magnificent structure that once housed the royal elephants of the Vijayanagara Empire. It was built in the 15th century in the Indo-Islamic architectural style. The setup is an extended structure with domed chambers sufficient to hold two elephants at once. The central dome is the biggest and most intricately crafted in terms of architecture. All of the chambers have vaulted ceilings and a small rear opening through which the mahouts could get in and out.
Did you know that during the best and highest times of the Vijayanagar Empire, it had approximately 10,000 elephants, only 10 of which were selected for royal service and held in stables?
9. Watch Tower
The Zenana Enclosure is notable for being a well-guarded location during the Vijayanagara Empire’s reign. Initially, the enclosure had four watch towers. However, there are now only three watch towers located on the enclosure’s eastern, southeastern, and northern sides.
The existence of these three watch towers implies that the enclosure was a haven for the Vijayanagara Empire’s royal women, including the Queen. The eunuchs are thought to have shielded the watch towers as well as the entire enclosure.
The Indo-Islamic style of architecture represents the secular outlook of the Vijayanagara Empire’s rulers. What makes the tower unique is that it deviates from the conventional Vijayanagara architectural style like in many Hampi monuments and structures.
10. Hazara Raama Temple
The Hazara Rama Temple is a major memorial in Karnataka. This small but gorgeous temple devoted to Lord Rama is situated in the center of Hampi’s royal area. The temple, which was the personal temple of the Vijayanagara kings, is well-known for its beautiful artifacts and panels portraying the epic Ramayana story. The term ‘Hazara Rama’ translates to a thousand Rama and relates to the temple’s plethora of relics portraying the ruling deity. The relics also show commemorations of horses, elephants, visitors, soldiers, and dancing women at the time of the Dasara festival rally. They are one of the most distinctive to be discovered anywhere else in India. The Temple exemplifies Vijayanagara’s magnificent craftsmanship in sculpture.
11. Pushkarani
The Pushkaranis are sacred water tanks that have been connected to the temples in Hampi. In fact, they stood out as a major element of the ruined town. The pushkaranis of Hampi are architecturally stunning and look like beautiful step-wells. They have been constructed in the traditional Vijayanagara architectural style. During the Vijayanagara Empire, the pushkaranis in Hampi were an important part of the people’s lives as they were linked to numerous rituals and key features of temples.
Even today, the pushkaranis in Hampi are definitely worth a visit. Numerous of these pushkaranis astound visitors with their massive sizes and rows of intricately carved pillars encompassing them.
12. Stone Chariot
Every other tourist destination has one spot that draws a lot of attention and appreciation. It’s the legendary stone chariot for Hampi! It is the spearhead of the army of the exquisitely stunning scenery that Hampi will have to offer, and it represents Karnataka tourism as an icon of its own. This granite chariot, situated just outside of the Vijaya Vittala temple, has survived the test of time as well as man’s brutality. At first glance, the chariot appears to be carved from a single large rock. However, it is made up of several smaller granites that are so well crafted and linked together that the joints are almost inconceivable to see. That is the allure of ancient architecture.
The Stone Chariot of Hampi is one of three famous chariots in India, the other two being in Konark and Mahabalipuram.
13. Queen's bath place
The Queen’s bath will end up making you realize that present spas and bathtubs are hardly anything when compared to the luxurious baths of the past! It is thought to have been built by Achyuta Raya for the women of Vijayanagara’s royal family. Large corridor circles a 6-foot deep rectangular pool, and there are numerous balconies, each of which has three lovely windows. A huge sunken bath in the structure’s center point has a 15-square-meter surface area and a depth of 1.8 meters. Beautiful arched corridors with pillars and portraying intricately carved balconies with windows encircle the bath. This remarkable enclosed space, built in the Indo-Islamic design of architecture, is crafted to be unlike any other private or public bath in Hampi.
14. Coracle Boat Ride
A coracle ride is the most adventurous ride during the Hampi trip and is worth the beautiful scenery! Dongi, or coracle, is a bowl-shaped boat formed of reeds, saplings, and hide. These are traditional boats that have been utilized to ferry people throughout the river in this region for centuries. Plastic and bitumen sheets are used in the modern version to make it water-proof and stronger.
A fun-filled coracle ride on the Tungabhadra river is one of the most captivating boat rides, full of whirlpools, high currents, and crocodiles.
15. Sunset in Hampi
In addition to its historical significance, Hampi has enticing natural beauty. If you like sunsets, Hampi is heaven.
16. Badami Cave Temple
The Badami caves are a reminder of India’s long history of blending arts, religion, and spirituality. These are the region’s oldest Hindu cave temples, dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries, far ahead of others that were built later. Their caves’ walls are designed in the Chalukya architectural style which is regarded as one of the most creative construction techniques. All of Badami’s cave temples are made of soft sandstone. Each cave describes a narrative pattern, and the figurines are themed.
Badami’s cave temples, alongside Padakkal and Aihole, are strong contenders for UNESCO World Heritage status. In fact, a few of them are already recognized as such.
17. Agastya Lake
The massive Agastya Lake, situated on the outskirts of Babadi lies beneath the cave temples. It is said to have been created in the fifth century, and many people seem to believe that the water it contains has healing powers. The lake is revered, and devotees bathe in its waters to effectively remove their sins.
According to legend, when the Chalukyas ruled the region around Badami, their capital, Vatapi, was sculpted out of stone and expanded around the Agastya Lake ravine. It is also said that the lake was named after the epic Ramayana sage Agastya.
18. Pattadakal Group of Monuments
The ‘City of the Crown Rubies,’ Pattadakal, is a UNESCO World Heritage site recognized for its Chalukya monuments. Pattadakal’s 7th and 8th-century temples attest to the abundance and unchanging glories of Chalukyan architecture. It has a cluster of ten major temples where the Temple of Virupaksha was built by Queen Lokamahadevi to commemorate her husband’s victory over the kings of the South. Nine of the temples are Hindu, with the remaining one being a Jain temple. The Malaprabha River flows to the north of this complex, while a small village to the south transforms Pattadakal into a sort of holy city.
19. Aihole Temples
Aihole, a small village in Karnataka’s Bagalkot district, is just like any other village in India, except it has around 125 stone temples dating back to the 5th century! A temple can be found on every street corner in the village.
According to legend, after seeking revenge for his father’s death, Lord Parasuram went down to the river Malaprabha and scrubbed his blood-stained hands and battle axe. The axe’s blood and gore transformed the river red. When a woman saw this, she screamed ‘Ayyo Hole!’ (‘Oh No Blood!’) in Kannada, giving rise to the name Aihole.
20. Unforgettable social experience
Our small group size ensures a personal touch and our group leaders make sure to bond the entire group like long-lost friends. Hence, along with an amazing travel experience, you are in for great social bonding.
Your Itinerary
Booking/ Query
To book this trip, please Call/ WhatsApp/ Email using the below-mentioned details.
If you have any questions or concerns, then please feel free to contact us using the below-mentioned details. Alternatively, fill this form and our team will get back to you at their earliest.
Call/ WhatsApp : +91 9999 74 9677
Email: chandni@transformingtravels.com
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