This essay documents my recent visit to the rocky land of ruins, whose history goes back to the Stone and Iron Ages. It was mid March -the onset of summer in India. This is when, us, Indians realize the importance of water, coconut water, sugarcane juice and lime soda.

I reached Virupaksha Temple (in Hampi) early in the morning to start exploring the place for next 3 days. There is always something exceptional about these historic places. Walking through the streets with the scorching sun smiling at me throughout the day, I felt a strong urge to unfurl the history, beautifully carved in the hefty stone walls. As you try and read the stories on the walls, you feel the history crawling through you. I wonder how the Kings and their Queens would have ruled the place and what message would they want to leave for the future while carving those stories.

There is warmth in the crude landscape.
There is lightness in watching the heavy Mantapas.
There is beauty in imagining how this place would have been when functional.

As I walk on the barren land, I wonder how many more civilizations have been buried beneath. The stone slabs standing since centuries look so fresh as if arranged just yesterday. It is overwhelming to watch the vast serene environment with farm lands interspersed with royal palaces, exemplary temples, long bazaars, huge rocks and those beautiful Ankanas as I sit on the hill waiting for the sun to set. Soaking this beauty in, I toast to the glorious empire of Vijayanagar whose aura could still be felt.