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| PC: Jenu Prasad |
Why do people travel?
It’s an extremely existential question that doesn’t need any answers. Some wander to escape the trials and tribulations of every day life. Some do it in search of peace and tranquility. While some do it for the sheer pleasure of breathing in some fresh foreign air and staring at beauty that escapes them everyday.
Whatever your reasons are, nothing beats the feeling of returning from a distant vacation and then recounting the entire experience through photographs, coffee table conversations and memory.
But what do we truly remember when our journey is done? Do we remember the place itself? The landscape? The people?
What is amazing to witness is that there are always those little solitary moments from a trip that seem to linger on in the depths of our minds a lot longer then some of the other things do. Sometimes it’s a conversation that you stole atop a bridge. Sometimes it’s a house you saw beside a hill. Sometimes it’s a walk across the sea shore. Like life, the trip is incomplete without these little moments. The intricacies that matter.
There is one moment that has lived on with me from one of my trips to Hampi - a village and temple town from Northern Karnataka.
Famous for it’s magnificent ruins from the 13th Century, towering boulders and beautiful sunsets, Hampi is a wanderer’s dream come true. After wandering through the town for nearly 3 days and seeping in it’s historical beauty, I decided to go for a thoughtful night stroll at about 11 pm and descended on the steps to the Tungabhadra river. There was a strange calmness in the air. The place which was filled with boatmen, tourists and locals during the day was all empty and quiet now, filled only with the moist night air. The river divided the town into two parts and the only way to get to the other side was to hire a boat ride, which was available for cheap during the day. Suddenly, a boatman appeared with his rickety old rowboat and asked me if I wanted to reach the other side. I had nowhere to go but the idea of rowing a small boat through the night river excited me. We rowed on for nearly 10 minutes until we reached the middle of the slow flowing river.
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| PC: Daniel Zrihen (Source) |
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| PC: Vijaya Narasimha (Source) |
Suddenly, I caught the site of the shining moon and the it’s beautifully scattered image in the river. Magic. I told the boatman to stop rowing and both of us sat staring at the natural magic that unfolded so effortlessly. The mysterious night river was barely visible. The picture of the moon in it though, was as clear as crystal. It was as if the river had secretly gulped the moon and was presenting it to us. We could only watch and admire. Even today, I find it easy to close my eyes and transport myself back to that time and place. To that moment. To all the elements that completed that scene to perfection.
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| PC: Shri Ram (Source) |
· 1. Even
though you would be tempted to lose yourself in the busy Bazaar and intricate
temples, do not miss out on the ‘other’ side of the Tungabhadra river
(Anegundi). Chill out in the wilderness. Meet some new interesting people and
give way to the artist within you when you can.
· 2. Rent
a two wheeler – the best way to explore the inner reaches of Hampi. You might
bump into some beautiful lakes while you are at it!
· 3. Avoid
tourist guides – buy a Hampi historical guide from the children selling it at
the main temple. Read about each temple’s history when you are going there. You
will feel the medieval times coming alive again. The book will cost a mere Rs
100 – 150.
· 4. Drink
a lot of water and brace yourself to walk the ruins through and through. Hampi
holds a surprise in every nook and corner.
·
5. Climb
the boulders at Anegundi and watch the beautiful Hampi sunset. You may also
want to do a few rock climbing sessions that frequently happen over there.
· 6. Climb
the Matanga hill! It’s a must. Historians have described it as one of the most
beautiful views in South India. // Amarpreet Singh
{About the Author}
Amarpreet
Singh is 25 and lives in Bangalore, India and apart from journeying with a
waste management organization called Daily Dump, likes to spend his time
scribbling words wherever he can. His passion is penning down random sets of
words that may seem gibberish to most people and may make perfect sense for
some insane ones out there. He doesn’t seem to stop any time soon too. Poetry
is what people say he is good at. Music and Football are his other
hobbies.
