LETâ€™S GO TO HAMPI

sayan chakraborty 18-Oct-2016 Image Source

How many of you know that Hampi still exists from the books of History. Well! It is true. Hampi is a village and temple town recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi in northern Karnataka, India. It was one of the richest and largest cities in the world during its prime. It is located within the ruins of the city of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Predating the city of Vijayanagara, Hampi continues to be an important religious centre, housing the Virupaksha Temple and several other monuments belonging to the old city.

Hampi is a place like no other and so are the activities you can indulge in when here. Test yourself at bouldering over the hills, ride a bicycle all across the village, row a coracle in the calm waters of River Tungabhadra, spot some Indian sloth bears or get blessed by an elephant – Hampi has a lot to keep you busy. Watching a sundowner across its famous temple ruins is, of course, a delight.

1. Bouldering

Hampi is a bouldersâ€™ heaven. With its endless trails of boulders hills and right terrain, it has emerged as the countryâ€™s hotspot for anyone with a love for the sport. While the more experienced ones can get bouldering and rock climbing equipment from one of the many stores and travel operators in the village, newbies can learn sport tactics with experts who often camp by the boulders.

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2. Bear Watching

Wildlife lovers can head off the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary for jungle safaris. The sanctuary is some 20 km away from Hampi and doubles up as a conversation center for the Indian sloth bear. Perfect to escape to from the more touristy lanes of Hampi, it is quite offbeat and houses more than 100 sloth bears, 90 bird species and an impressive variety of butterfly as well.

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3. Get Blessed By An Elephant

This one would never lose its charm! Lakshmi, the temple elephant at Virupaksha Temple, blesses visitors early in the morning with a gentle touch of her trunk. Anyone looking for a greater adrenaline rush should get into the river when she is in for a bath; a gentle shower from her awaits everyone who is eager enough to go near.

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4. Bicycle Tours

If there is one thing that you must do in Hampi, it is to get a bicycle and roam around the ruins and this sleepy village at a pace that keeps you discovering its beauty. Hampi is not a place to strike off from your wishlist in a rush; so let it work its magic on you â€“ slowly. A number of bicycle rental points are in the lane that houses Virupaksha Temple; you can get one for around INR 500 as security deposit and INR 50 as bicycle rent for a day.

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5. Coracle Hopping

A walk by riverside is passÃ© when you can go right in the middle of one in coracles, the coolest designed boats ever. Crossing River Tungabhadra to reach Anegundi, the hippie side of Hampi and back, becomes all the more inviting when you wade across it in a coracle.