Photos Of The Day: Vijayanagar Architecture
Posts tagged ‘Karnataka’
Dec 1
Photos of the Day: Vitthala Temple, Hampi
The Vittala Temple, situated northeast of Hampi, is one of the principal monuments of the city. The temple is believed to date from the 16th century and is dedicated to Vittala, an aspect of Vishnu worshipped in the Maratha country.
One of the main draws to the Vittala Temple is the musical pillars. Each pillar represents a musical instrument, and is constructed in a cluster of 7 minor pillars arranged around a main pillar. These 7 pillars, when struck, emanate the 7 notes from the representative instrument, varying in sound quality based on whether it represents a wind, string or percussion instrument.
A Warm Welcome In Hampi
Over the span of two days, we explored the ruins both by foot and by bicycle. It was a surprise to discover that Hampi continues to be an important religious centre and that Indian tourist, pilgrims and rural inhabitants (from surrounding villages) all flock to Hampi to pay homage to these spectacular ruins.
The Jungle Book Incarnate
Our original plan after departing Mysore was to head straight to Mumbai, but (as you are probably well aware due to the last post) we decided to heed our friend Jo's advice and head towards Hampi.
Jo sold me on the idea as soon as she told me that Rudyard Kipling based his classic novel, The Jungle Book, on accounts of the ruins at Hampi. Soon after, Shawn squashed my Jungle Book dreams by telling me that Kipling based his novel on a different set of ruins, however, in my mind, Hampi is The Jungle Book incarnate (the Disney version that is).
Here's the proof...
