One of India's most famous historical ruins is Vijayanagar, the capital of one of the largest Hindu empires in Indian history. The empire ruled for about two centuries until being destroyed by an alliance of Moslem rulers from the north in 1565. They did not leave much standing but the ruins, spread over several square kilometers, still are powerfully evocative and leave plenty of visitors awe struck. The present day village of Hampi is in the heart of the ruins and is often synonymous with them. One must first travel to the town of Hospet to reach Hampi.
 The Vittala Temple, one of the most visited in Vijayanagar. Inside are many pillars with angels, swans, horses, lotus flowers and figures sculpted into them. Built in the early 16th Century, it is on the UN list of World Heritage sites. |
 The main tower of the Virupaksha Temple, near the center of Hampi. |
 A close up of one temple peak. Subtlety is not in the Hindu tradition. |
 The stone chariot at the Vittala Temple. The wheels were actually designed to turn but have been well worn. Images of soldiers, hunters, Portuguese, Arabs and Persians are carved into the side panels. |
 Tools, lunch buckets and bicycles of the temple workers. |
 Lunchtime. Just don't get in the way. |
 The elephant stables in the "Royal Centre" complex of buildings, about 2 km from Hampi. |
 The Lakshmi Narasimha (half-man, half-lion) temple monolith, one of ten incarnations of Vishnu. Note the seven-headed cobra serving as a hood. |
 Vijayanagar is in a valley populated by granite boulders, from which most of the buildings were carved. |
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 So how did they cut these boulders to shape into building blocks for temples and other items, using only simple hand tools? Look closely at the line on this boulder.
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 Small drills were used in the natural fissures to painstakingly split the boulders. This would not make for a career with a very long resume.
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 With all their skills as rock cutters, why not just cut uniform blocks? Look closely at the tight but irregular seams; each stone had to be perfectly cut to fit the one below. Similar cuts can be seen around Cuzco in Peru, the work of the Incas.
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 A relief detail on the inside of the Krishna Temple. |
 An unexplained relief along a city wall that seems to depict aspects of daily life. |
 Tungabhadra River and cattle crossing. The little round things in the water are boats. |
 A typical group of school children, always happy to gather for a photo. |
 On occasion, school children have no problem asking a tourist to take their photos if they see you have your camera out. |
 A local shepherd. |
 Closeup of the aforementioned shepherd. |
 Women planting rice in the valley, which has many green pockets among the boulders and sand. Hard work, needless to say, requiring a deft touch to plant the roots properly |
 A rice planter, who tried to show me the finer techniques of their backbreaking labor. |
 Sunset, day one, from the Krishna Temple. |
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 Sunset, day two, over the looming tower of the Virupaksha Temple.
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 If there is a sunset, there is almost always a moonrise. |
 On the road to Hospet, women carry laundry from the washing canal. |
 Bullock carts are slow but do have the benefit of less pollution. On the other hand, what about methane? |
 Lunchtime along the road. |
 A boy asking for money on the way out of Hospet. |
 A typical Hindu temple. The have not changed much over the centuries. |
 More laundry in a river outside of Hospet. |
 Bullock cart. They are not always fed well but at least their horns are stylish. |
 Tomato seller. Can't say for sure that it beats schooling... |
