Hampi

Title: Hampi – Discover the Splendours of Vijayanagar

Author: Subhadra Sen Gupta

Publisher: Niyogi Books, 2010 (First)

ISBN: 978-81-89738-64-8

Pages: 262

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.

Rating: 3 Star