Hampi – A Story in Stones!
These pillars stand tall to tell you a gripping story of the times gone. Of the glorious past that haunts you and taunts you that you can not be part of it.
Hampi marks its presence from a distance. It starts unfolding slowly- boulder by boulder, hidden amongst the coconut trees, and enticing you like a maiden!
Lo and behold your breath because it makes you ponder how skilled our ancestors were. The engravings on the pillar made me realise that it would have taken dozen of hours, with hammer and chisel, to carve out a masterpiece. The tine detailing in the sculpture makes you awestruck.
Look at this beautiful warrior girl with a bow. I imagine if I were her. I even try striking a pose like her. And I failed miserably. A warrior maiden in 15th century Indian simply swept me off my feet. What would her daily life be? Would she be prepping up amongst her male warriors? Would she have to do house chores as well? Would she be considered about getting married?
Coming back to the temples, once you enter the vast expanse, you are at once at peace. The openness is such a luxury in these times when we spend our lives in boxes. You look above, and there is azure sky taking you in its arms. The water tank or pushkarni was once used for ablutions and now are a sight in itself. I had the chance of visiting these wonders at night. The reflection of the gopuram on the lake mesmerised me beyond words.
If you visit the temple, spare some time to marvel and then gaze at the sculptures. Notice how each layer is related to their daily life. The upper layer is mostly decorated by banana fruits. The next horizontal pattern would be some pious symbol , or a soldier, or a common person engaged in daily rituals. Or there would be elephants, horses, Ramayana stories carved out as it’s running in front of your eyes. Look closely to find the row of “diyas” to hold the actual diyas. I have tried to conjure up an image of a temple lit up with multitude of such diyas against the moon, the boulders and the river Tungabhadra.
The special thing about the pillars is that they are musical. An expert guide will tap at the right place to produce tones. The guide told us that 50–90 sounds could be produced.
