An Ode to the Ruins
First Published by Kadam Digital Transprints Pvt. Ltd. in 2018 Kadam Digital Transprints Pvt. Ltd. 568/B, First Floor, Lokmanya Tilak Bhavan, NC Kelkar Road, Next to Kesariwada, Narayan Peth, Pune, Maharashtra 411030, India Copyright Š by Rangeet Ghosh 2018 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprodu ced, stored in a retrival system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the copyright holder. For private circulation only and not for sale. ISBN 978-2-4054-8550-5 Designed by Rangeet Ghosh
An Ode
To the Ruins
Hampi A land frozen in time, carved purely out of rock boulders. A UNESCO World Heritage Site now, the ruined city of Hampi used to be the largest city after Beijing during the medival era. Hampi was the heart of the Vijayanagara Empire and attracted many traders from Persia to Europe. The genesis of Hampi goes back to the age of the Ramayana, when it was believed to have been Kishkinda, the great monkey kingdom. Considered sacred the site was raised to tha status of a city in 1336 AD.
The Vijayanagara Empire was defeated by a coalition of Muslim Sultanates. Yet Hampi stands till today, defying the assaults of time. Conquered, pillaged and destroyed, the ruins echoe of a glorious past, attracting tourists, free travellers and bagpackers from all over the world, becoming a playground for amateur free climbers, a shrine for hippies or a liesure land to escape the monotony of daily routine to just lie down on a hammock, have a refreshing drink of coconut water or take a spinning ride of the famous coracle boats on the tempestuous Tungabhadra river.
Hampi and the neighbouring villages of Anegundi and Sanapur are home, albeit temporarily to people from different races, religions and countries. From Hindu sadhus teaching meditation to and smoking cannabis with Israeli hippies to free-travellers from different countries meeting up and staying in lowcost homestay villages. From Rajasthani Rajwade women, clad in their silver jewellery and bright, colourful clothing making lulus for young men and women to a localite in white vesti and shirt, promoting ‘Free Tibet’ with stickers on his shop door. Hampi is the witness to and the reason for many such fascinating things
Zipping across on a rented scooter, along the long, winding lonely roads, witha a landscape scattered with naturally formed boulders, baking under the scorching sun. The paddy feilds in stark contrast, spread endlessly, coconut tress scarsely dotting the foreground. It was nature both wild and tamed, coexisting together.
The local population is an intricate mixture of different identities and personalities. From auto-rickshaw drivers fluent in English and Hebrew to old farmers not even understanding Hindi. Yet everyone, no matter what their background or age, are astonishingly friendly and welcoming. Always readly to have a nice little conversation or pose patiently smiling, while I adjusted the settings on my camera
A major factor contributing to the alluring charm of Hampi are the many ancient temple complexes. The architechtural masterpieces, dating back almost eight centuries are adorned by intricate and minute engarvings of different Hindu scriptures, mythology and folklore. These ruined temples, community halls, bath-houses and markets, that have survived the test of time, make Hampi a World Heritage Site today
The glory of this place is as such that you end up meeting some really interesting people over uninteresting events like a typical morning breakfast in a roadside shack. For instance, I met Kosuke Kobayashi over a plate of ildi sambar on a roadside shack. A 43 years old engineer from Osaka, Japan, travelling in India for four years. He shared how he had an accident while riding a 1100cc motorbike, which left him with a disfigured and paralysed arm and a pacemaker in his heart.
Like the wind rushing through your hair as you commute down the long, winding roads of Hampi, the sound of music also expresses its presence, quite evidently in the air, hence the vibe which is created by unknown solitary notes of tamburas, bongos and didgeridoos make you feel that you finally are at peace.
Like these local handicrafts made from banana fibre in a workshop in Anegundi village near Hampi, the memory of this place, will forever be weaved into the depths of my heart. I will forever cherish this bonding with Hampi.
Acknowledgements I would like to thank a few people for making this book possible for me. Firstly I woul like to thank the wonderful people of Hampi, without whom this book wouldnot be possible. I would like to thank Asst. Prof. Rajendra Thakre and Assosiate Prof. Mathew Kurien for mentoring me and guiding me. I would also like to thank the management of Jungle Tree Resort. I would also like to thank all the people who went with me on the trip and the different people from different nations who made this trip a memorable experience. Finally I would like to thank Shaila Ankolekar for organizing the trip so amazingly and Sulogna Ghosh and Md. Ayub Ali for helping me write this book and constantly rallying beside me.