Escape to... India I 65a tunnel-like cluster of boulders, we meet a saffron-
clad mendicant, or sadhu, blowing a conch and
collecting alms.
We headed on through the “King’s Balance”, a
carved archway where Vijayanagar’s kings were
weighed annually against gold and jewels, which
were then distributed among the capital’s aristocracy.
Such largesse lent prestige, but there was none
greater among its royalty than when constructing
great temples. We soon reached the Vittala temple,
Hampi’s most celebrated antiquity, standing in a
walled compound with another pair of bazaars
stretching away to the hills.
Its open, airy halls are home to exuberant
sculpture and bas-reliefs of elephants, horses, bulls,
mythical animals, deities and floral motifs. The
temple’s most unusual feature is a set of “musical
pillars” in clusters of seven. Each cluster pertains
to a different instrument, and when tapped (now
officially forbidden) they sound the principal notes
of common scales. Here, too, is Hampi’s most iconic
monument – a freestanding shrine in the form of a
stone chariot pulled by elephants.
■ India-based
Bridging
Journeys
arranges
tailored tours
and itineraries:
bridging
journeys.com
Evolve Back
Hampi’s
accommodation
comprises
rooms, suites
and pool villas;
rates from £294.
evolveback.
com/hampiThus far, I had only explored Hampi’s so-called
“Sacred Centre”. North across the river stands
Anegondi and Anjaneya Hill – birthplace of
Hanuman, the ubiquitous monkey god – the
steep whitewashed steps of which are visible for
miles. To the south lies the “Royal Enclosure”, with
dozens of buildings and structures, from pavilions
and stables to stepped water tanks and a mint. Its
focal point is a huge raised platform from which
Vijayanagar’s kings once watched their court’s
pomp and ceremony.
The glory days came to a sudden, brutal end in- Rival Muslim sultanates attacked their great
Hindu foes. Two Vijayanagar generals’ treachery
turned the tide; it took six months to sack the
capital.
Later at Evolve Back, I visited Bahmani restaurant,
the regal cuisine of which draws on the influences
of those same sultanates. Candles flickered in
a gentle breeze and the pavilion’s scalloped
recessed arches (which recall Hampi’s Lotus Mahal)
were especially fetching. I didn’t quite feel like a
king... but I certainly dined like one. ■
Clockwise from
left: Evolve Back’s
Bahmani restaurant
and pool; Hampi’s
Lotus Temple; hotel’s
Jal Mahal suite