ON ROAD SCHOOLING TRIP TO HAMPI - Engraved in stone, Echoes of
ON ROAD SCHOOLING TRIP TO HAMPI - Engraved in stone Echoes of a bygone era Hearts awaken to its glory
The intention of the trip was for the homeschooling children to take a peek into what ancient India was like, as we culminate our Grade 5, Ancient civilization block. On 22nd August 2018, me, my sister - Purvi, homeschooling kids - Vibhu, Krutarth, Kaushal, along with our younger ones left for HAMPI, unknowing of how bewildered we are going to be by the charisma of the ancient architecture, panaromic scenery and the rural life sightings.
Nowhere in the itinerary. Now here.
Such surprises this trip had to offer! With all that we had planned which any other traveller and a homeschooler would do, we got lucky with our expert guides Ravi and Swamy sir and the unique rural experiences that the rich diverse Hampi had to offer us urban folks.While on our river trail walk, we happened to see a goat deliver two babies in the delivery room surrounded by boulder rocks, as sun and rain played passing the parcel. Unaffected by us watching her, without inhibitions about her placenta hanging, she quickly got up on her feet to clean her beautiful, fragile kids. The nomad lady put her finger inside the kid's mouth to remove any placenta. Yes, I'm hoping I'll no more have to answer tricky questions like "Where do babies come from?"
On our way to the artisans village in Anegundi, we saw a bull fallen on the ground. We asked Ravi if the bull was dead? he replies as a matter of fact, "It's not a bull, it's an Ox," (Darn! couldn't i just say -Animal!) They are hammering the nails on his feet to put the hooves/shoes! He has to go through this procedure every six months. I still can't get the image out of my soul, the pain of long nails being pierced into it's sole.
Birds & Bears - The ever fascinating animal world
We spent a day bird watching in the Daroji Sloth Bear sanctuary with Mr Swamy. The highlight being we watch a sloth bear, the second most unpredictable animal after elephant, from just 20 feet away! So much we learnt about Bears and their habitat. Known as the Natural Gardeners of the Forest, we observed their droppings and understood why exactly they are called so. Swamy would keep stopping the car to spot a variety of birds. From his hideout huts (Hide photography) we quietly for hours observed different ground birds, the House Sparrow, Laughing Dove, Silver Bill Munia, Red vented Bulbul, Painted Sperfowl, Brahmini Maina,Jungle Bush Quail, Common Babbler also known as seven sisters..do you know why? cause when sisters meet there's so much of babbling noise! We even saw a Mongoose for the first time. We saw the unfinished nests prepared by males and rejected by the female Baya Weaver birds. Lol:)) Not to miss the handsome Rock Agama reptile lurking a female Rock Agama. The polygamy relationships in birds, a rule of nature so easily accepted! This time around we couldn't spot the egg of the Necklace bird that it lays on the ground! That, crocodiles and otters, shall definitely be on our itinerary the next time.
Mr. Swamy & Ms. Snake - Mr. Tremor & Ms. Shake
After spotting an owl eagle, Swamy says, "I have a surprise for you," as he pops open a bottle and there slithers out a snake.
Yes, the tremors began. So the previous night, he rescued a snake which happened to be non poisonous and he thought he'd surprise us. Really! Why?Now, just the previous day I was scared of holding a centipede (A fact that man got the idea of a train looking at a centipede!) but I did with a big Eww! expression on my face. Now, coming back to the tremors, all the five boys between age 8-11 were so excited to hold a snake but yet were so scared. In no hurry and not to pose for photography, Swamy and the snake showd utmost patience in how to hold a snake and let go off our fears, just like that!
North Karnataka Delicacies & Tribes & Coracle ride
We had such variety of food and snacks, and then one day we went to Laughing Buddha in Hippie side, then the Mango Tree and supposedly one of the very old restaurants.The Lambadi tribe women with all the exotic jewellery working in the paddy fields. Sugar cane, banana and rice fields form a major part of the landscape against a peacock standing gracefully on the boulders enclosed by dry thorny bushes. A ride in the coracle boat was so relaxing and unique.
Visit Good ol' days of Mahabharata
Purvi whispers to herself, "I can almost believe that Ram would have walked these paths" Having entered Kishkinda, the land of monkeys, she narrates the Sugreev Valli story to the children as we see the caves from the place where supposedly Ram shot Valli. The Anjaneya hillock on which Hanuman was born. The place where Ram and Lakshman stayed four month during the monsoon and Bhima's gate. Sitting one of the hillocks, drawing the sunrise while safeguarding our crayons from the notorious monkeys. In the temples ofcourse, our guide Ravi took peanuts and would say to the monkeys "gera..gera", all the boys would repeat that and feed the monkeys. "Now show your empty hands then they will not trouble you," laughed Ravi as the boys imitated. Whose the monkey here?
Vijaynagar Empire
Smitten by the huge boulders surprisingly balanced on one another, river TungaBhadra filled and flowing wild, the sudden shift in gears from rains to scorching heat to cloudy, and reverse, ancient stone structures everywhere you gaze, I can't stop but wonder how alive PAMPA, would be 500 years ago during the rule of King Krishnadevaraya of Tuluva dynasty. Not just Dravidian, but some places had Indo-Islamic, chinese, buddhist, jain, christan architecture. The famous chariot which is now imprinted on the new Rs 50 note! Although a UNESCO site, there's far much more that we Indians need to preserve, right from the plastics disposed, names scraped, sitting/standing on these pieces for photography.
My favourite with a S
My favourite is the Sasivekalu Ganesha temple, the front is carved Ganesha and back is carved Parvathi's back, arms spread as if holding her son in her lap. All carved from one single monolith rock! When i reached atop the Hemakuta Hill Temple Complex, I didn't want to leave this place at all. Can't miss the Virupaksha temple, the only alive temple in Hampi. The gorgeous ruins of the trading site along riverside that has inspired the Mowgli movie creation of King Louis monkey set.
An era in which everything right from palaces, elephant stables, temples, trading centers, pathways, step wells, god statues, baths was built by stone, stone and stone. That's HAMPI.
For me, it's all these visuals, alive moments that shall remain etched in my memory for a long time. A trip that was planned at the last minute, yet there's so much that comes and goes unplanned.
To an era lost in time, captured in stoned beauty, has won my heart. I'm in love with Hampi.
