Honeymoon in India, Ch. II – Hampi, the Jungle Book

From Goa our next stop was Hampi, an ancient grouping of temples about 8 plus hours into the interior.  We took a sleeper bus there and awoke in an amazing place, where nature, animal, and religious beauty all swirled together in a harmony that I have never experience elsewhere.  We only had one day, but it was an amazing one.  I could have been the heat, exhaustion, or beginnings of the gastro intestinal disorder that would plague us the rest of the trip, but I have never experience a place that pulsates with such magic.

Around 10pm we where whisked away in the night on a sleeper bus. Like the cars of an old train, there where curtained berths for folks to sleep

We had our own berth, with just enough room to be comfortable

The trip was bumpy, and the Indian practice of honking the horn every few seconds to alert those around you are driving seems to work contrary to propper sleeping conditions. Every few miles there was speed bump, so the trip is a constant acceleration and braking. The drivers could be heard up front, telling stories and listening to music in Hindi. Not the most restful trip, but a memorable one.

We arrived in the predawn hours, and found what we thought was our hotel. No one was around, so we caught some sleep on loungers in the courtyard area, as the sun slowly came up. In the daylight it became apparent that it wasn’t in fact our hotel, so we gathered our things and started walking down the road

A small troop of dogs started to follow the only two people awake in town. We headed down the road, not certain where exactly we where going

We where on a dirt road on the outskirts of town, surrounded by rice patties, and we weren’t sure what this place was going to be like when we found it. The hills of boulders around us where extraordinary as they became plain in the light. A solitary figure could be seen on a high bolder doing yoga in the warm air

We finally made it to our place, with a lovely row of cabins overlooking the river and temples

There was a little patio restaurant area where we ate breakfast early

As we eat, the monkeys started playing. They bounced off of chairs and tables, and landed on the roof of the patio with a thud. They cased each other, and the hotel staff chased them

They sat in the trees in their family groups. It was joyful to just sit and watch them

We had a perfect view of the temples from the patio, and music could be heard coming from the complex in the morning mists.

We walked down to the river through the boulder field and grasses. The one in the foreground we named “Dolphin Rock” for what I hope is apparent reasons. Meredith asked if we should watch out for anything, and I said “yes, cobras” and it was exhilarating to know I wasn’t kidding

to get to the temples you cross the river on a boat resembling a sardine can. Passage is .25 cents

A traditional round boat woven out of reeds.

We heard that the temple elephant Lakshmi takes her bath in the mornings around 8am, so we hurried to get there.

She lay down as her handler scrubbed her belly and ears, barking shrill commands to her in Hindi and now and then whopping her with a switch, much to our chagrin

Scores of women washed cloths along the riverside. They do live close to nature in India, and we where amazed to watch a young boy pull up a bowl of water from the river and drink it straight, not ten feet from where the elephant was bathing. I envy their stomach flora

I still think it’s cleaner than a laundromat

Hampi has been hosting pilgrim worshipers for 800 years or more. Snake charmer like music played ambient, while monkeys climbed up and down the carved figures on the temple walls.

Temples are refuge for animals that are held sacred, and they are fed and cared for all day

After baring witness, I feel and animal presence is what is surly lacking in other houses of worship

You can get as close as you dare, and have your monkey buddy say hi to your friends at home, but it’s best to remember they still aren’t pets.

All the while religious rights are being preformed around you. Faithful walk through stations of worship, not unsimilar to a Catholic mass. They smash coconuts on phallic rocks called lingams, in a ritual representing the creation. The air was hot and think with incense, and the temple’s inner sanctums where dark and cavernous, with only shafts of light. I would have taken more pictures, but I felt it rude

Elsewhere on the grounds was a temple build around this stature of Ganesh, the god of wealth and wisdom, which was carved from a massive single boulder. The Buddha like belly of the statue had been worn down by innumerable pilgrim hands

A truly spectacular landscape

After a morning of exploration, it was time for rest and a bite. The day’s heat is often around 100 degrees, so mid day is a time of lounging for travelers. This little cafe did the trick

The best part about India’s restaurants is that the seats are all mattresses and pillows on the floor, and no one cares how long you stay and relax.

Vegetable pakora are a great snack. The fruit juices where also welcome in the heat

Everyone around us agreed that you had to go to the Monkey Temple in the evening hours before sunset. A cab ride was expensive, and renting a scooter was suggested as the best way. Even though I am an avid scooterist, I was a little hesitant, due to what I had seen of the Indian roads and driving, and Meredith was a little hesitant to get on the back.

In the spirit of adventure it was decided we should go native, and we rented this little hog for about $5. It was a little under powered for two people, but she did the trick

The roads where basic and dusty, but there weren’t hardly any other vehicles around, save other Westerners on scooters going to the same place. We passed the ruins of civilizations, with their contemporaries living about the base.

Sunset at the Monkey Temple was reputed to be the best, because it sets on a high boulder mountain. Not mentioned was the fact that the way to the top of that mountain was a flight of over 600 stairs. We bought a bottle of water at the base, and started our way up.

The stairs where a lovely piece of engineering, and folks told us “you should have seen the first set” probably no more than a vertical trail

The passed under boulders lodged in the rock

At the top was a small one room temple monolith with a spectacular view. Two men could be heard inside chanting Vedas in a kind of religious song. It was the most peaceful and beautiful scenes I have ever witnesses, enhanced by the heat and exertion of getting there

The monkeys at the temple seemed far more regal than their wild cousins by the river. They carried themselves with more grace, even as they played and tugged at each other

As I sat watching the scene and listening to the chanting resounding from the temple a flock of crows (known as a murder of crows) swooped down out of the sky as if invading. Such a simple act took on more significance in such a setting, and you can see why some places just seem touched by the divine

You surrender your shoes at the door to every temple you enter in the country, and on top of a giant boulder in no exception. Scrambling about rocks in bare feet does help bring a connection to the place. If I have ever felt close to god it was there.

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~ by fireandknives on March 1, 2017.