“I don’t think she blesses foreigners..”. The two lanky,
twenty something white men had
quizzical looks ingrained with disappointment. Ofcourse, for anyone watching
the little play, it was quite the amusement; not that racism is funny, but I
guess a racist elephant is.
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| Lakshmi blesses a devotee |
Lakshmi, the elephant is quite the crowd puller. Barring a few walkabout appearances, her day
is primarily chained to a pillar in the southern mandapa in the main courtyard of the Virupaksha temple. Her mahout sits behind wielding a short
stick which he uses to communicate with the elephant through taps. Devotees bring fruits and other food for
Lakshmi and if you hand over some money, she places her trunk on your head as a
blessing. The two foreign tourists had done everything right, exactly as the
Indians had – they found a coin after much digging and searching through their
wallets and backpacks and handed it over; yet she stood perfectly still as if
nothing had happened! The mahout then
clears the confusion – “Give ten rupees”. Ofcourse! He was holding out for more
and the signal hadn’t been given to the animal. Like all other experiences in
India, this one too came at significant premium to foreigners.
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| The portal |
But blessing or not, Lakshmi symbolises all that is good
about the sacred centre in Hampi – the fact that it is active, alive and in
use. At the heart of it all is the Virupaksha temple. Situated at the end of
the defunct Hampi bazaar and at the foot of Hemakuta hill, the Virupaksha
temple is a fortress! Her Gopuras pierce the skies with statues and etchings of
mythological characters as her high walls demarcate the land. But pass through
the main Gopura in the East and it’s like a travelling through a portal back in time. The first courtyard is actually quite
uninspiring – it has a barren tree in the centre very much like the white tree
of Gondor, a pillared hall in the corner and a ticket counter to enter the main section of the temple – except for a few priests or sadhus around, its bereft of the rituals and most of structures
that make the land holy.
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| Priest at Virupaksha temple |
The next courtyard though is buzzing– not only are people
flocking to see Lakshmi, but there are the shrines which are the hub of
spiritual activity. There is always something happening – the priests are
either performing a puja or preparing for one – and there are multiple shrines.
All of this is ofcourse amidst architecture from medieval India – the great
pillared halls, the intricate carvings on pillars and ceilings alike and the
paintings, some of which have been restored to their original splendour
–entities for which most travellers set aside admiration time, even if they
come in the guise of pilgrims. And if you still don’t find this interesting
enough, the monkeys of Kishkinda are always around to remind you of Hampi’s
place in the Ramayana. While they lord over Anjenadri hill, the site of the
Hanuman temple on the other side of the river, their numbers are anything but
sparse throughout Hampi. Wonder if they would be willing to bless the
foreigners!
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| View of Hampi from Anjenadri hill |
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| Virupaksha temple from Hemakuta hill |
TIPS
- Stay near the Hampi bazaar – its gets you close to the real deal. The royal centre is photogenic but dead. However, opinion is often split on which side of the river you should stay;
- Hampi side – No time limits, ok guesthouses, only veg food and no alcohol and close to the main attractions – good base if you want to get under the skin of Hampi.
- Across the river (anegondi side) – Better food and dirnk, better guesthouses, but need to cross over each time – last boat at 6pm and ferries may not ply during the monsoons when the river is high.
- Explore Hampi on foot – it can be tiring, but it lets the place sink in
- Watch Lakshmi, the elephant being given a bath at 8am everyday in the Tungabhadra to the North of the Virupaksha temple.
- For an excellent view of Hampi, visit Anjenadri hill on the other side of the river.
