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Hampi: Discover the Splendours of Vijayanagar
The ruins at Hampi are the remains of the medieval kingdom - the magnificent City of Victory - a metropolis of busy bazaars, luxurious palaces and fabulous temples.
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262 pages, Hardcover
First published August 31, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 31, 2023
Three Thank Yous!
To Subhadra Sen Gupta, for the excellent narrative that brings Hampi alive.
To Clare Arni, for absolutely stunning photographs - over 150 of them.
And, to Niyogi Books, for production quality that possibly could not have been better.
In the Indroduction, Smt Sen Gupta asserts: "Once you have seen this city petrified in stone you will never forget it. Let Hampi take you over, surrender to its magic and listen to its quiet, wise voice. It will change you for ever." (p. 10)
For one who has not been there yet, Hampi, as seen though the eyes of Smt Sen Gupta and Smt Arni, did take me over.
When the Sage Vidyaranya inspired the brothers Harihara and Bukka to lay the foundation of their kingdom on the banks of the Tungabhadra, scarcely did they realize that it would rise to such heights of glory that the kingdom will be remembered as one of the greatest in the whole, long history of Bharat.
And the great Rayas - and the greatest of them all, Krishnadeva - must not have realized that, centuries later, in a new millennium, a new Bharat would lament the fall of Vijayanagar.
Smt Sen Gupta has brilliantly captured all these. And more. From zenith to oblivion, to quote a chapter heading. The great Rayas. The magnificent architecture. The pomp and the glory of the city that Domingo Paes had compared to Rome. From the grandure of the Virupaksha Temple to the majestic Narasimha. ("When I first saw the Narasimha ... I was shaken by its monstrous majesty, a brute, domineering power and then I remembered it was fashioned by a man, with just a hammer and chisel.") (p. 196)
And then came Talikota.
The Battle of Talikota (1565).
The weak king of the decaying empire, on the one hand, and the combined forces of five southern sultanates, on the other - Bijapur, Golkonda, Ahmednagar, Bidar and Berar.
Smt Sen Gupta leaves the description of the destruction to Robert Sewell, in his now-classic, Forgotten Empire (1900): "With fire and sword, with crowbar and axes, they [the Muslim invaders] carried on day after day their work of destruction. Never perhaps in the history of the world has such havoc been wrought, and wrought suddenly, on so splendid a city, teeming with a wealthy and industrious population in the full plentitude of prosperity one day, and on the next seized, pillaged and reduced to ruins amid scenes of savage massacres and horrors begging description." (p.102)
Smt Sen Gupta, in lyrical prose, adds the despondent sigh of a new millennium: "Vijayanagar merged back into the rural landscape, withdrawing into silence and solitude." (p.35)
And the Tunghabhadra flows on, probably not noticing that the silent tears of a wounded civilization have mingled with her placid waters.
To Subhadra Sen Gupta, for the excellent narrative that brings Hampi alive.
To Clare Arni, for absolutely stunning photographs - over 150 of them.
And, to Niyogi Books, for production quality that possibly could not have been better.
In the Indroduction, Smt Sen Gupta asserts: "Once you have seen this city petrified in stone you will never forget it. Let Hampi take you over, surrender to its magic and listen to its quiet, wise voice. It will change you for ever." (p. 10)
For one who has not been there yet, Hampi, as seen though the eyes of Smt Sen Gupta and Smt Arni, did take me over.
When the Sage Vidyaranya inspired the brothers Harihara and Bukka to lay the foundation of their kingdom on the banks of the Tungabhadra, scarcely did they realize that it would rise to such heights of glory that the kingdom will be remembered as one of the greatest in the whole, long history of Bharat.
And the great Rayas - and the greatest of them all, Krishnadeva - must not have realized that, centuries later, in a new millennium, a new Bharat would lament the fall of Vijayanagar.
Smt Sen Gupta has brilliantly captured all these. And more. From zenith to oblivion, to quote a chapter heading. The great Rayas. The magnificent architecture. The pomp and the glory of the city that Domingo Paes had compared to Rome. From the grandure of the Virupaksha Temple to the majestic Narasimha. ("When I first saw the Narasimha ... I was shaken by its monstrous majesty, a brute, domineering power and then I remembered it was fashioned by a man, with just a hammer and chisel.") (p. 196)
And then came Talikota.
The Battle of Talikota (1565).
The weak king of the decaying empire, on the one hand, and the combined forces of five southern sultanates, on the other - Bijapur, Golkonda, Ahmednagar, Bidar and Berar.
Smt Sen Gupta leaves the description of the destruction to Robert Sewell, in his now-classic, Forgotten Empire (1900): "With fire and sword, with crowbar and axes, they [the Muslim invaders] carried on day after day their work of destruction. Never perhaps in the history of the world has such havoc been wrought, and wrought suddenly, on so splendid a city, teeming with a wealthy and industrious population in the full plentitude of prosperity one day, and on the next seized, pillaged and reduced to ruins amid scenes of savage massacres and horrors begging description." (p.102)
Smt Sen Gupta, in lyrical prose, adds the despondent sigh of a new millennium: "Vijayanagar merged back into the rural landscape, withdrawing into silence and solitude." (p.35)
And the Tunghabhadra flows on, probably not noticing that the silent tears of a wounded civilization have mingled with her placid waters.
October 9, 2021
I bought this book from Blossoms, so it has a special place in my heart. While a bit too imaginative at points(especially if you read it after having been to Hampi), it feels apt to actually put stories to the ruins and rocks we saw there. Demands a reread as it is quite dense.
For me, I found the tensions between kings, and origin stories the most interesting. Wish there was more about the insanely detailed architecture, how the common people lived and the Kishkinda lore, but I guess there aren't many official records that would detail that. Really like the way the hardcopy is made as well. It's a richly detailed, worthy memento, compared to the other drier ones I came across. I would recommend it to anyone planning to go to Hampi or wanting to know more about the place.
For me, I found the tensions between kings, and origin stories the most interesting. Wish there was more about the insanely detailed architecture, how the common people lived and the Kishkinda lore, but I guess there aren't many official records that would detail that. Really like the way the hardcopy is made as well. It's a richly detailed, worthy memento, compared to the other drier ones I came across. I would recommend it to anyone planning to go to Hampi or wanting to know more about the place.
January 16, 2021
Must read, specially if you are visiting Hampi.
January 11, 2016
No one forgets the first sight of Hampi in Karnataka. You suddenly seem to be transported from the modern world at the wave of a magic wand to a medieval town in which kings and courtiers roam the streets. If the pedestrians decide to don the clothes worn a few centuries ago, they would blend seamlessly to the background, in which the traveler see history frozen in stone – broken stone, to be precise, as the city never recovered from the barbaric destruction let loose on it after its defeat in the Battle of Talikota in 1565. A lot of travel related information is freely available on the Web, but there is nothing to compare with the experience of huddling with a nice comfortable volume, like this one, which is hard bound and having fine pages of enough thickness that can handle rough times of travel and superb pictures by Clare Arni, who is a Bengaluru-based photographer specializing in architecture. The author, Subhadra Sen Gupta writes on various aspects of Indian history and culture through fiction and travel writing. She also writes historical fiction for children and scripts comic books. At the end of it, we are not quite sure whether this book comes in which category.
The book is divided into eight chapters, with history pouring out lavishly in the description. But none of it should be taken very seriously unless the contention is borne out by quotations in other more reliable texts. True to the author’s predilection to historical fiction, the events are portrayed in flowery detail that pictures the Vijayanagara kings in a eulogizing light, as the representatives of good battling the evil forces of other kings and sultans. When you read history with an objective mind, the first thing you would notice is the absence of crystal clear truths and falsities among the avowed professions of the rivals. History is more of a matter of logical interpretation that suits the current society, than a fit case for impartial judgment. The author’s assertions on historical events interest the casual traveler, and may even help him more to be at ease with the surroundings of Hampi’s ruins. The skewed narrative that depicts a Hindu kingdom being mercilessly harangued by evil Muslim sultanates in the neighbourhood casts a shadow of historical immaturity on the book. But of course, no one takes travel books seriously. Even though it might be so, a warning may be relevant here that informs the visitors that whatever incidents narrated in the book is the personal opinion of the author which may or may not have solid foundation on actual facts.
The chapters containing Introduction and ‘A City Time Forgot’ is very nicely written and warmly invites the attention of readers who had visited or actually plan to visit the city. Sengupta does not stop by merely describing the sights, she extols the visitor to be a part of the ambience by gently instructing him to “take off your shoes and feel the cool stone under your feet. Touch a pillar and follow the lines of carvings of a dancing Shiva and you’ll be able to imagine what that forgotten stone carver felt as he tapped the unyielding stone with his chisel. Listen to the silence as you watch the sun dip past the gigantic head of the Narasimha statue that still watches over Hampi with such ferocious pride”. Such lovely advice would definitely win the hearts of the traveler.
The book depicts each part of Hampi through separate chapters each doing justice to the matter under discussion. Thus we see sections titled Pilgrims by a sacred river, Living in Vijayanagar, and an Imperial citadel. Vitthala temple is the most exquisite of Hampi monuments and the author sets aside a full chapter on this magnificent piece of medieval Indian architecture. The book is divided into two halves, the first one priming the reader on the historical background of Hampi and the latter painting the sculptures in vivid colours. Arni has done a wonderful job in filling the volume with lots of crisp and stunning photographs that do full justice to the glorious relics that adorn the little hamlet tucked away in the middle of giant boulders which lie tumbled among the monuments. As a travel guide, the book should have contained more on-the-road instructions and cut down a little on history, which is not so accurate anyway. Being a hard cover and printed on excellent quality thick paper, the book is a bit heavy with 1.25 kilograms that might prove to be a hardship for the traveler to lug it around. A clear, contemporary map of the place is painfully lacking though what is provided is a very old one that doesn’t show modern pathways. A comprehensive index and suggestions for further reading adds value to the content.
The book is highly recommended for the traveler.
The book is divided into eight chapters, with history pouring out lavishly in the description. But none of it should be taken very seriously unless the contention is borne out by quotations in other more reliable texts. True to the author’s predilection to historical fiction, the events are portrayed in flowery detail that pictures the Vijayanagara kings in a eulogizing light, as the representatives of good battling the evil forces of other kings and sultans. When you read history with an objective mind, the first thing you would notice is the absence of crystal clear truths and falsities among the avowed professions of the rivals. History is more of a matter of logical interpretation that suits the current society, than a fit case for impartial judgment. The author’s assertions on historical events interest the casual traveler, and may even help him more to be at ease with the surroundings of Hampi’s ruins. The skewed narrative that depicts a Hindu kingdom being mercilessly harangued by evil Muslim sultanates in the neighbourhood casts a shadow of historical immaturity on the book. But of course, no one takes travel books seriously. Even though it might be so, a warning may be relevant here that informs the visitors that whatever incidents narrated in the book is the personal opinion of the author which may or may not have solid foundation on actual facts.
The chapters containing Introduction and ‘A City Time Forgot’ is very nicely written and warmly invites the attention of readers who had visited or actually plan to visit the city. Sengupta does not stop by merely describing the sights, she extols the visitor to be a part of the ambience by gently instructing him to “take off your shoes and feel the cool stone under your feet. Touch a pillar and follow the lines of carvings of a dancing Shiva and you’ll be able to imagine what that forgotten stone carver felt as he tapped the unyielding stone with his chisel. Listen to the silence as you watch the sun dip past the gigantic head of the Narasimha statue that still watches over Hampi with such ferocious pride”. Such lovely advice would definitely win the hearts of the traveler.
The book depicts each part of Hampi through separate chapters each doing justice to the matter under discussion. Thus we see sections titled Pilgrims by a sacred river, Living in Vijayanagar, and an Imperial citadel. Vitthala temple is the most exquisite of Hampi monuments and the author sets aside a full chapter on this magnificent piece of medieval Indian architecture. The book is divided into two halves, the first one priming the reader on the historical background of Hampi and the latter painting the sculptures in vivid colours. Arni has done a wonderful job in filling the volume with lots of crisp and stunning photographs that do full justice to the glorious relics that adorn the little hamlet tucked away in the middle of giant boulders which lie tumbled among the monuments. As a travel guide, the book should have contained more on-the-road instructions and cut down a little on history, which is not so accurate anyway. Being a hard cover and printed on excellent quality thick paper, the book is a bit heavy with 1.25 kilograms that might prove to be a hardship for the traveler to lug it around. A clear, contemporary map of the place is painfully lacking though what is provided is a very old one that doesn’t show modern pathways. A comprehensive index and suggestions for further reading adds value to the content.
The book is highly recommended for the traveler.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews