Hampi – Virupaksha Temple – 2

The first part of the blog: http://asha-ram.blogspot.com/2011/08/hampi-journey-to-golden-era-1.html

The plan for the next day was to wake up early, and then drive to Hampi. We wanted to race the Sun, if at all He decided to shine bright. The Hospet-Hampi route is pretty; water in the canals, lush fields, and small and humble establishments.

Our first stop was Sasivekalu Ganesha. I will come back to describing this beautiful Ganesha. But first, I need to tell about how my camera conked off. Memory card was damaged, and I lost all the pretty photos. My heart sank, and I asked my hubby, "What am I going to do now?" Capturing the memories in my camera was important for me.

My hubby suggested that we check the stores on the main bazaar; they may sell memory cards. I looked at him in disbelief, and said that we could drive back to Hospet. Hubby asked a guide about where we could purchase memory cards, and the guide promptly said the stores behind the Virupaksha temple sold all kinds of stuff. Unbelievable.

Of course, we hurriedly went to the street behind the temple, and voila, local departmental stores were selling memory cards and USB ports. To cool our heads, we walked down towards the Tungabadra river. Ah, what a serene sight! The river was full, and added a mystery to the whole place. We returned to the temple, bought entrance tickets and ticket for the camera, and entered the temple complex only to be swept off by the huge gopuram.

Tungabadra river

Virupaksha temple gopuram

Kalasham

The temple belongs to Lord Shiva, and the main sub shrines are dedicated to Goddess Pampa and Bhuvaneshwari. This is the only temple in which daily pujas are performed. The deity is intact; not destroyed by the invasions. The Sun shone from behind the gopuram. The three Nandi idols sat nicely facing the gopuram. The courtyard flaunted several pillars (100-pillar hall) and unique carvings on them. A word of caution: Do not photograph the temple elephant (live one) and inside the sanctum area; you will be fined.

Pillars

Three Nandi idols

There are different kinds of rocks used to carve the pillars and pillar halls. One set of pillars are Red (mud color); while the other set is White. The pillars had the royal lion carved on them. The pillars also had panels of carvings of deities, animals, and floral designs. It's fascinating to observe the delicate carvings. You will end up wondering if the rocks turned as soft so that the sculptors could easily carve them.

Pillar with royal lion

The Lord

We were hungry... for food. We went to the streets behind the temple, and found eateries on the roadside. They sold idlis, pooris, and chilli bajjis. Tasted yum. On this street, you can also see mopeds and bicycles available for hire. There are shops that sell clothes and handicrafts. There is a barber shop too. It's a fun street that leads to the river.

On the right side of the Virupaskha temple, there is an entrance to the Matanga hill. We walked up the hill, admired the rocks that were placed together in odd groups. The belief is that the Gods must have played with the rocks, and must have left them as is. If you continue to walk further down the hill, you will see the Sasivekalu Ganesha. Will write about it in the next blog.

Regards,

Asha