Exploring the Ruins Part I: Bouldering
After a week of excessive train trips I have finally arrived at a destination to linger in: The small market-town of Hampi Bazaar lies within a landscape strewn with massive boulders and sub-tropical flora. Scattered throughout this already impressive scenery are the ruins of the eight-hundred year-old city of Vijayanagara. Remnants of old crumbling walls and columns of ancient structures are frequently found lingering the countryside. Sporadically spread amongst them are temple complexes adorned with elaborate rock carvings and grand halls of massive stone-work that paint a vivid picture of this former civilizations glory.
see all of misc photos from Hampi Bazaar
While it’s boasted as the Largest Living World Heritage Site, the majority of the ruins are distinctly devoid of human presence. However, the size is far from exaggerated. While some choose to bicycle through sections near Hampi Bazaar or hire an expensive rickshaw to tour the more distant sites, there is only one option for me! After spending a couple days putting the final touches on an article that I’ve been hired to write for an Indian magazine, I rent a 120cc TVS motorcycle that will give me the freedom and range of movement to explore the ruins at my own pace. I’m excited; every time that I climb on top of a motorcycle turns out to be an adventure, keeping me fully entertained and living according to whim!
see all of my misc photos of Hampi
I pull out of the bustling village of Hampi Bazaar and start towards the densest cluster of historical ruins. Quickly escaping the tourist town; first passing through a small cluster of temples and gates before entering a small palm and banana tree jungle. The lush greenery shortly gives way and the road emerges back into the familiar terrain of dry brush and lifeless boulders.
see all my photos of the Zanana Enclosure
The bike finds a rest in the parking lot of the Royal Center Ruins and I proceed into the heart of the complex on foot. Fragments of the old fortifications and a few large stone foundations are all that remain of the former seat of regional power. After wandering for a short while out to the old elephant stables, I find a small unkempt path leading off towards a large hill of stacked boulders. On its summit sit a few collapsing columns and lingering shrines. The diversion promises an opportunity for some climbing and exploration, so I set my goal and start a beeline towards the hill. After a few minutes, the path strays off another direction and I am forced to continue towards my goal through the wilderness.
Fighting through dense brush, climbing over large smooth boulders, alone and pushing the limits of my scrambling skills, I begin to feel a little stupid for attempting this peak. Out here, far from any other humans and easily at risk of personal injury, each step is carefully placed. A plethora of strange sounds surround me and my imagination stirs with thoughts of snakes slithering in bushes or wildcats lurking in caves. The adrenaline is rushing and the adventure is appeasing. Half way up I reach a set of ruins, overgrown by brush and reclaimed by nature. It looks as if nobody has set foot here in hundreds of years and the feeling of true exploration is overwhelming. After all, exciting rewards rarely come without risk.
I push onwards to the top and sit on the edge of the highest rock I can reach. My feet hang precariously over the edge as I look out upon the impressive vista surrounding my stone throne. Endless fields of boulders stretch as far as the eye can see. Shimmering rivers twist their way through the valleys and small patches of emerald jungles that color the land. The natural beauty here is astounding, but the sheer volume of man-made ruins scattered throughout the whole landscape steal the attention. This place was really impressed upon by human hands many years ago, and although most of it has deteriorated during the last five-hundred years, it is easy to see how great this city was in its prime long past.
see all of my photos from the Boulder Hike
By this point, the midday sun is beating down hard and my water has run out. I reluctantly begin the climb downwards in search of refreshment and more current civilization.
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Tags: - Photography, - Transport & Travel, - Transport: Motorcycle, Asia, Hampi, India, India: Karnataka, Karnataka, Ruins
Adam Shane
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