Achyutaraya Temple, Hampi - Paradise Lost

As one walks through the wide road that leads directly out of the Virupaksha Temple’s gopuram (entrance tower) towards the pavillion that houses the seated monolithic Nandi (the bull that is the divine steed of Siva), the single and two tiered ruins of Hampi Bazar bear silent witness to the start of the magical trek to Achyutaraya Temple.

The Matanga hill that was a safe haven in the to the monkey king Sugreeva from the wrath of his brother Vali due to a curse in the epic of Ramayana, is visible to the right as one makes the climb from the Nandi and past the shrine.

The humble shrine is a perfect understatement to one of the magnificent hidden gems of Hampi that comes into view as one ascends past this shrine and up the next rise, the Achyutaraya Temple.

The Indiana Jones-like moment has to be experienced as words simply fail to do justice to the feeling that overcomes the beholder as the surrounding boulders suddenly give way to the temple complex in the valley below with an imposing entrance tower that is magnificent even in its ruined state.

It makes one wonder what pomp and splendour the temple must’ve witnessed in the heyday of the Vijayanagara empire when the pillaging of Hampi’s riches reputedly took 6 months!

The setting sun cast a surreal glow on the place and helped transport us back in time as we made our way around the temple complex and out into a street that is reminiscent of Hampi Bazar but is called the Courtesan Street.

This street too has a series of stone pavilions on either side of the street, with the temple pond just a little off to the right of the street as one walks away from the Achyutaraya Temple.

While the temple lacks maintenance, as it is frequented only by a few tourists, it still has its charm. And just for this reason, we’d definitely be visiting this temple again very soon.