When we arrived in Hampi, it was pitch dark. The rain had just stopped, and there was a power outage in the surrounding villages. At that moment, Hampi seemed like an underwhelming rural town, and I started to doubt my decision to visit.
The hotel was pretty average, but that’s what you can expect when staying in Hampi itself. If you're looking for luxury or resort-style comfort, you'd need to stay in Hospet or a bit farther from the main area.
The next morning began with a sudden commotion. We rushed to the door, only to be greeted by a hilarious sight—about 10 to 15 monkeys were in the veranda, while more of them were jumping on the roof. The owner was chasing them with a slingshot, trying to shoo them away.
The weather, thankfully, was not the typical hot and humid Hampi climate. It was cloudy, windy, and even a bit chilly. We decided to start our day with a climb up Matanga Hill to catch a panoramic view of Hampi. As we passed by Virupaksha Temple, traditional prayers filled the air, creating a divine atmosphere. The pull to visit the temple grew stronger, but we decided to first complete the climb, return to the hotel for a shower, and then head back to the temple.
Matanga Hill is steeped in mythology, known as the place where Sugriva hid from Vali in the Ramayana. However, in typical fashion, we missed the path and ended up descending instead, where we unexpectedly found ourselves in the breathtaking Achyutraya Temple behind the hill.
I don’t have words to describe the temple’s grandeur—it’s something the pictures will have to express. At that moment, I realized that if the rest of Hampi is like this, no camera could truly capture its essence. The scale and beauty are simply beyond what a lens can convey. Every photo I took afterward was just to document the memories.
What we witnessed that morning left us in awe.
PHOTOS
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