I visited Hampi, the world heritage centre, over the weekend. I had heard a lot about the place over the years and it felt great to finally see first hand the monuments and remains of a city which now lies in ruin. Places like Hampi, Belur and Halebid never cease to amaze me. It is sad that the kind of creativity and talent in the people who lived centuries before us, is all but dead today. What is not dead though, is the destructive qualities in man which totally destroyed that great city.
Though Hampi lies in ruin, it’s easy to see how beautiful the city might have been in its day. One lasting memory will be the Vithala temple full of musical pillars. The temple supposedly had 56 pillars, each with 16 smaller pillars which produced different notes and sounds. During performances all 56 musical pillars were played together, accompanied by dancers. I find it difficult to even imagine how the pillars were carved so precisely. Where did all that knowledge and skill go?
I need to visit such places more often. On the one hand the magnitude of dedication and achievement is humbling, on the other, it reinforces my pride in the history of my country.
Some of the photos I took at Hampi are here.