Hampi Trip- A Timeless Journey into Utopia Ananya Bhaduri
Hampi Trip- A Timeless Journey into Utopia
Ananya Bhaduri
Collect moments, not things- let your soul be the souvenir.
The above quote summarises my Hampi trip from Bangalore. I am writing this blog almost 5 months after the trip. For you to know the whole story of how and why this Hampi trip took place.
So, for my husband and me, a gateway to Hampi was similar to a trip to Goa, you know how you always chalk out the planning but never end up going! And why Hampi? You might ask.
Well, visiting this magical UNESCO World Heritage site has always been a dream for me. Whether it is the breathtaking boulder-strewn landscape, the mythological stories engraved into divine carvings or the alluring feeling of stepping back into the era of the Vijayanagara kingdoms, the whole experience was indeed a surreal one. Not only Hampi, but our tour package covered other historical monuments of Badami, Pattadkal, Aihole and Bijapur.
Let’s start our journey from Bangalore to Hampi.
How to reach Hampi from Bangalore?
Bangalore is the most convenient location from which you can start the Hampi Trip. There are several ways to reach Hampi from Bangalore.
By Bus
There are several private or Government buses that depart every day from Bangalore to Hampi. We booked our package from the KSTDC State Road Transport website or other private sites like Redbus or MakeMyTrip. We started our journey around 10 pm from Yeshwanthpur Bus Station and reached Hospete the next morning, around 4:30-5 am. This bus journey was extremely quiet and sleepy, which was beyond my expectations.
By Train
There are regular overnight trains from Bangalore. You have to book tickets in advance if you are travelling during long weekends or peak seasons. After reaching Hopete station, you need to catch a local bus or an auto.
By Private Car
You can also hire a private car to reach Hampi from Bangalore. This is the most expensive as well as flexible option.
Adventurous Day 1 at Hampi
We reached our hotel in Hospete, and after freshening up, our bus took us for breakfast, and after that, we set out for the adventure of the Hampi trip. Hampi is a treasure of ancient and architectural wonders, which provides visitors with an overabundance of captivating places to visit.
Vijaya Vitthala Temple
Our first destination on the first day of the trip was the Vitthala temple. This is the wonder of the Vijayanagara kingdom and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for the famous stone chariot and musical pillars. Here you will find a lot of guides who will try to swindle you. Do not listen to them and explore the place on your own. We had our guide, who explained every mystery of the place.
In front of this place, you will get electric cars towards the temple, which charge 40 rupees for a round trip for both of us. The famous Hampi Chariot is the one which you will see first as you enter the premises. The significance of this chariot is that it is printed on the new 50-rupee note.
Musical Pillars
The musical pillars in the Kalyan Mandapa, the kitchen, the meeting hall and the Kishkinda Parva of Ramayana and other mythology will be found here. We spent some time here and enjoyed every aspect of the architecture.
Bank of Tungabhadra
Due to the scorching heat, we almost became dehydrated and tired. But the next place just reduced our tiredness in just a blink of an eye. We sat beside the river Tungabhadra and witnessed the Hemakuta hills and Anjanadri hills, which is the birthplace of Lord Hanuman.
Then we have headed to our next destinations- Lotus Mahal, Queen’s bath, Hazara Rama Temple, Elephant stable and Pushkarani or the stepped tank which stretched across the same place.
The Queen’s Bath was the private bathing chamber of the queens. It is a rectangular building, and the bath is surrounded by magnificent arched corridors with pillars and ornate balconies with windows.
The lotus mahal and elephant stable were the real testimony of the past glory. Don’t miss the beautiful temple lake, which is symmetrically established with various steps on all four sides, and is magnificent indeed.
Virupaksha Temple
After having a sumptuous lunch at Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneshwari, a KSTDC property, we headed towards the Virupaksha Temple. At first, we visit the Ugra Narasimha statue and the Badavalinga, which are adjacent to each other.
The Badavalinga is the largest monolithic Shivalinga, which is 3 meters high. Unlike other temples in Hampi, this Badavalinga does not have intricate architecture. There is no ceiling; sunlights illuminate the Shivalinga during the day.
With this spiritual presence, we move to our next destination, which is towards Kadalukale Ganesha. This giant-sized idol was designed from a huge boulder on the Hemkuta hill.
Then we left for the Virupaksha temple, which is one of the most important and ancient Shiva temples in Hampi. It is famous for the intricate carving, captivating architecture, and an important feature of this temple is that you can see the inverted shadow of the gopuram of the temple in the dark room inside the Saalu Mantapa. Another major attraction of this temple was ‘Laxmi’, a 37-year-old elephant who offers blessings to all the visitors. We prayed at the temple, visited the chariot and the bazar and went our way back.
It was our last destination for the first day. Then we travelled for around 1:30-2:00 hours and reached our accommodation, which was also a KSTDC property located near Tungabhadra Dam. In the evening, there was a light and sound show at the Tungabhadra dam.
This is how we have spent our first day of the Hampi trip with lots of pictures clicked, memories created and all the crazy times we had. But before visiting Hampi, you need to keep in mind a few things:
Carry water bottles and adequate snacks, as there are very few food joints.
If you are planning to visit during the summer, make sure to carry sunscreen, caps and an umbrella.
Carry cash for entry fees and guide charges.
Ananya Bhaduri Bhattacharjee
M.A. (Economics)
Travel Blogger / Expert Content Writer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ananya-bhaduri-812567215
Ananya Bhaduri
Content writer ||SEO Content Writer|| B2B, Edtech, Lifestyle, Travel Content Writer
West Bengal, India
https://www.portrait-business-woman.com/2026/05/ananya-bhaduri-bhattacharjee-expert.html
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