Beth Steddon: Land out of time

Resting on the banks of the glistening Tungabhadra River in the heart of India’s southern state of Karnataka, Hampi (derived from an earlier name for the river ‘Pampe’, and the Hindu goddess of the same name) is a place of ethereal natural beauty. Flat, palm-fringed plains are dominated by a boulder-strewn landscape and otherworldly rock formations, giving the town an unearthly and magical quality.

Geologically, Hampi hosts some of the oldest exposed surfaces on Earth. Granite monoliths created by primeval magma solidifying at the Earths crust were shaped by volcanic forces, and subsequently eroded over millennia by rainwater to form today’s colossal, sculptural, and seemingly gravity defying structures.

From a religious and mythological perspective, the area is of great significance to Southern Indian Hindus as the location of the marriage of Pampe to god of destruction Shiva, and in inspiring scenes in the Hindu epic “Ramayana”. It is said to be the birthplace of monkey god Hanuman, and the location of the mythical monkey kingdom Kishkinda.

It was in this panorama, steeped in history, religion and mythology, that the Vijayanagara Empire built a thriving Capital – a vast cosmopolitan city of temple complexes,  bazaars and aqueducts stretching over 16 square miles. After enjoying centuries of trade and prosperity, it was tragically pillaged, overthrown, and then left abandoned by the Deccan Muslim Confederacy in 1565. At the time if it’s tragic demise, Hampi was the was the second city in the world, with 500,000 inhabitants. After sliding into rural obscurity for centuries, it was ultimately conferred UNESCO World Heritage status in 1986. 1600 monuments remain, scattered throughout the terrain, and providing a magnificent and timeless backdrop for the lives of Hampi’s modern day inhabitants.

Today the town’s residents number less than 3000 people, mainly living in homes built around the architecture of the ancient temple complexes. The daily rituals performed on the river form the connection between the physical and the divine. Families bathe, women gather to wash clothes, fishermen cast their nets, prayers are made, and aarti ceremonies are held. It is a remarkable and enduring place where the the threads of history, religion, mythology and the forces of nature are tightly interwoven, and where the tension between present-day uses, and the challenges of safeguarding the ancient remains creates a delicately held balance.