Reconstructing the Story of Ruins of Hampi

When we had been travelling to Hampi from Badami, I was not sure that, would we like Hampi or not? I heard about this place a bit but travelling to a particular place with a little knowledge is not enough but we took that risk. Although I got answers to all questions as we reached, we were on two days trip but stayed for 5 days. Now I think even a week is less to explore Hampi.

History of Hampi

Seeing the remains of old buildings, you will be excited to know past and History of Hampi, it is said that in History of Hampi that, was the period of the Mughal Empire in the North. Here Vijayanagara Empire was the most powerful, king of this empire was Krishnadeva Raya and you probably know courtier of this empire Tenalirama.
The extent of their empire was as far as the Arabian Sea in the west and there was huge foreign trade between Arabs and this empire. You can easily get ideas by seeing the ruins of Hampi that Foreigners also used to visit this place for trading purpose.
Then what happened is that such a majestic empire turned into blocks today, the only answer to this is the invasion of Marathas and Mughals from the north, and the invasion of Chols from the south led to the end of this empire.
Finally, everything of the empire went into the hand of the Mughals, the Mughals left no stone unturned to break the temples and Idols of the Vijayanagar Empire. At present entire site of Hampi is under the Archaeological Department, even 18-20 Villages of Hampi are under Archaeological Department of India. Nothing can be constructed in these villages, without permission of the Archaeological Department. Yes, I would say here that all villages have good drinking water and electricity supply even roads have been constructed to connect the villages with other parts. you can also enjoy the homestay in these villages, villagers have started homestay in their homes. Rent is also not too much they charge around 500 - 1000 Rs, We were also staying in one such homestay.

Tungabhadra River, Hampi Karnataka

Explore Hampi on Your Feet

Keep on walking and exploring, You will get tired but you can not finish exploring this place. While passing the road in front of Virupaksha temple, you will find pillars and umbrellas resting on both sides of it, it used to be a huge market of the empire. You will see Matanga Hill in front of you, you have to walk till Matanga Hill if you want to enjoy Sunset or Sun Rise, Sunset from this place is really amazing. If you proceed further, you will reach the Vitthal Temple, this temple get closed around 6:00 pm, so you need to plan accordingly if you want to see the temple. You will also get that famous chariot of Hampi at this place. Only Archaeologist can tell you the rationale of building this huge chariot. There are some pillars at the main temple which can be played like a musical instrument but when we went there, some work had been going on so we missed hearing the musical sounds from the pillars.

Famous Chariot of Hampi

Temples of Hampi

The most special thing about South Indian style temples is that there is huge Gopuram, Gopurams are the special gate of the temples even small temples have grand Gopurams, one can not lose sight of them. We have also visited the famous Virupaksha Temple in this order. There are other small temples around the Virupakasha temple, but the main two are Narasimha and temple of Ganesha. When you move from Hampi to Kamlapur you will get to see remains of the main Palace, You can also start from the underground Shiva temple. You will see a network of canals while walking in this portion of Hampi. There is a Hazara Ram temple you must see this temple. The entire Ramayana has been carved by cutting stones, Mythological Events like Rama Vivah (Marriage of Rama and Sita), to his 14 years life in Jungle and Battle of Rama and Ravana is closely engraved on the stone. The entire film of Ramayana will move in front of you when you visit this place. Animals such as Horses, Elephants and Camels are also found on the outer walls of the temple.

Virupakasha Temple Hampi Karnataka

In the ruins of the Raj Mahal, you can also see the presence of foreign people, people of Europe and Arabia have been inscribed on the walls. It is clear from their costumes and camels that people from Europe and Arabs also came here, these people had so much influence in the king that the royal artisans used to make their idols as well as some inscriptions. All these are enough to tell the story of the empire everything of that time are here as a living document. You can easily reconstruct the past by watching remains of the empire even, what those people used to think, what they used to eat and drink etc.
On the other side of the Tungabhadra river, there is Kishikandha, which was once ruled by Bali and Sugriva. Anjana Parvat is a mountain here which is also known as the birthplace of Hanuman.

How to Reach Hampi?

Belgaum Airport is the nearest airport located at a distance of 270km on the other side Banglore airport is also just 300 km from Hampi. If you want to travel by road than Hampi is well connected to Banglore and other cities of Karnataka via Roadways.
If I talk about railways than Hospet is nearest railway station to the Hampi, you have to take a bus or taxi to reach Hampi from Hospet railway station.

Know more about Travel Stories of North Eastern India
The Unique Culture of Nagaland
Majuli Island, World's Largest River Island

The unique culture of Nagaland

Nagaland is one of the last few places in Asia where people have not adopted modern Andal to live in such a way that modernity becomes their need. There are very fewer internet users as compared to other parts of India, in fact, there is very less phone connection. The tribes here are still living according to the old tradition. Their way of life and dress is also completely different from other parts of India. The community still have a king and the locals pay taxes to the king, However, their number is less, so they have got special protection from the government. if you want to see an extinct civilization up close, then you should plan to visit Nagaland as soon as possible.

Don't forget to carry Gifts for King 

Nagaland is not a historical place; you will not find buildings nor forts. But there is a culture that secretly attracts you. One of the main attractions here is the tribal area of ​​Kaunyank and its main city is Longwa which is located on the Myanmar border.
There is no leader here, Rule of King still exists in some protected areas. The king's palace is located on the right side of the border. 50% of this palace of the king is in India and 50% in Myanmar, that is why when you visit this palace you can cross the international border illegally, the king here has all the power. When you go to this village, you have to carry a gift for the king.

Things to Do in Nagaland

Yes, you can do many things here in Nagaland some of them I am mentioning here, In Dimapur, one of the major tourist destinations in Nagaland, you can see the Triple Falls, Kachhari khandar, Nagaland Science Center and Wildlife Park etc.
Apart from this, tracking can be enjoyed in Kohima, which is also the capital of Nagaland. The Zuku Valley is a beautiful tourist destination located about 25 km from Kohima, has beautiful views of Nagaland. Which is especially famous for trekking. There is also a tourist place Fhek which is a hilly area. This area is rich in flora and fauna.
There are some restricted areas where tourists are not allowed to go. Its main objective is to promote the culture and traditions of the tribes. Such as Kisama village on the outskirts of Kohima is known as Naga Heritage Village. The movement of common people is closed at this place. But during December in Hornbill festival, this village is opened for tourists for 1 week. So before coming here, you must read the guidelines issued by the tourism department.

Horn Bill Festival of Nagaland

If you are planning to come here in the first week of December, then attending hornbill festival should be in your bucket list which runs from December 1 to December 10. It can be an exciting experience for you to see tribals wearing colourful clothes and different kinds of jewellery, dancing in a typical traditional way. Some of the major tribes of Nagaland are Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang, Kachari, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Kuki, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, Sangtam, Sumi, Yimchunger, and Zeme-Liangmai (Zeliang) each tribe is unique in character with its own distinct customs, language and dress. Watching Harvest dance and war dance is wonderful to experience. It consists of about 17 tribes of Nagaland. In this festival, you can get a glimpse of the art culture and traditions of Nagaland.

Yimchungru tribe, War Dance in HornBill Festival

Homestay in Nagaland

There are many guest houses available but there are some guest houses in Nagaland where foreign tourists are not allowed due to conserving the tradition of Nagaland. If you go to a small city like Longwa, here. you will also get the option of homestay, it will be better to eat homemade food during your homestay in Longwa Village, in fact, here the option of the restaurant is not much like you will get in other cities of India. I would like to tell you here that, Daily need Items are much expensive in Nagaland so you should, Keep this in mind while making the budget.

Tribal Dance of Nagaland

Best time to visit Nagaland 

Nagaland is a state where you can go any time but if you want to enjoy the culture, tradition and heritage of Nagaland than I would suggest you visit between December to March in the month of December you can also see HornBill festival of Nagaland in the month of December which is one of the main attractions of the Nagaland you can see History of Nagaland in Hornbill Festival of Nagaland. One can easily get a chance to taste the traditional food of Nagaland during the Hornbill Festival of Nagaland.

Nagaland

How to reach Nagaland?

Nagaland is located in the North-Eastern part of India, You can reach Nagaland by Air, Road and Railroad. Dimapur, the largest city of Nagaland has an airport. You can go to internal places of Nagaland by road from Dimapur airport. Dimapur also has a railway station, you can also reach by train till Dimapur and then take reach other places by road.
Know more about my trips of North-Eastern Part of India at the World's Largest River Island Majuli in Assam.

Beautiful Majuli Island, World Largest River Island

We heared a lot about the World Largest River Island Majuli situated in Assam. When we planned to go Assam, we also planned to visit Majuli Island. Majuli is a world of communities, people here live in small communities.

This Island is adorned with sandy banks, Spreaded in about 352 sq km in Brahmaputra River. However, this island is also shrinking, due to climate change. During monsoons, Island becomes half of its actual size, because of heavy flow in the river. That's why the best time to visit Majuli Island is from November to March. During winters November to March water level in the river remain low as compared to monsoons and Migratory Birds also reach here in this period of time. Majuli world largest Island in Assam is also popular for bird watching during the period of November to march, Bird watching is also a different kind of adventure at the Majuli island.

Farmers and Locals at Beautiful Majuli, World Largest River Island

Most people of this World largest river Island Majuli in Assam belonging to agriculture and tribal communities. That's why you will also get to see beautiful houses made of bamboo with lush green fields. The design of houses built on bamboo bars looks very beautiful from a distance, Due to this, floodwater in these houses does not reach quickly. These houses are known as "Chang Ghar" in
Local language. The thing that thrilled me the most while roaming at Majuli Island, was the handicraft industry, You can easily see, women working on spinning yarn. Even, you can also buy pure handmade cloths made in front of you. Not just handloom products, Different types of Products made up of bamboo can be easily found on this Island.

Small House on Bamboo Pillar Majuli Island Assam

This place away from the hustle and bustle of life makes your heart very relaxed, the real adventure of this place can be experienced by Cycling or Biking, Bikes and Cycles are also available on rent. If you choose the option of biking or cycling than the fun of this place will be double.



Colours of Festivals at Majuli Island Assam
If you want to enjoy folk dance and traditional cuisine, then Join Majuli festival held in January. For a moment you will forget that you are here as a tourist. The colours of dance are so effective and relaxing you will not feel to leave this place. Second 3 days festival of the Majuli Island is known as Raas Mohtasava, which is celebrated during the last week of October or In the first week of November (The full moon of Kartik month) in this festival, Lord Krishna is worshipped, traditional dance Rass (Storytelling with dance) and various type of plays are presented.

Children at Beautiful Majuli Island

Art of Mask Making at Majuli Island
Along with Handicraft and Handloom industries, Majuli Island is also famous for its traditional Masks Making technique, generally, they make masks of traditional god and goddess. They use traditional masks of god and goddess in folk dances and musical plays.


Ferry Ride from Nimati to Majuli Island
Majuli Island is located around 20km from Jorhat city of Assam and 326km from Gauhati. Nimati Ghat is located 12km from Jorhat, from Nimati Ghat ferries will take you till Majuli Island. it takes around an hour to reach Majuli Island from Nimti Ghat. Two small towns of Majuli Island is Garamur and Kamala Bari. Kamala Bari has located 3km away from the island apart from these two main towns of the island there are numbers of small villages.

To reach Majuli Island you have to reach Nimati Ghat first. Whole day Ferry runs from Nimati Ghat to Majuli, You can take the ferry to come back from Majuli to Nimati Ghat, Ferry to Nimati from Majuli Island runs early morning to midday. I would like to mention here that all ferry service operates under government, so don't expect luxury service during the ride on the ferry. You will get simple wooden benches to sit and enjoy.


Relax in Bamboo Huts of Majuli Island
There are limited options available to relax and spend the night at Majuli Island. We got the option of "Ma Mesan De Anada" Meaning House of Happiness. To stay at Majuli Island there are traditional Huts as well as Air-conditioned rooms. Bamboos huts have all basic facilities. Cost of a Bamboo hut is 1800 Rupees for a Day which is enough and can be shared with 2-3 people if you are in a group. You can also order tribal food to eat at night which can cost you around 350 per head.


How to Reach Majuli Island?
Jorhat Airport is well connected with all the main cities of India, You can take Bus service to reach Nimati Ghat from Jorhat Airport, and from Nimati Ghat ferries will take you till Majuli Island. Apart from that Jorhat railways station is nearest to Majuli Island and If you are travelling via Gauhati you than you can take Private and state government bus service to reach Jorhat.

Read More About My trips in North-Eastern Part of India and Know about the Unique Culture of Nagaland