Hampi

The first stop on my trip to the south with Arianna was Hampi. Hampi was the seat of the Vijaynagara that ruled most of south India from the 1300s to 1600s. Today it is ruins and a small town that basically just exists to serve the tourists who flock there. The empire was among the riches in the world at the time, a nexus for gem trade and the site of some gaudy palaces. You can still get a sense of the splendor today. The terrain itself provides a stunning backdrop - the heavily weathered boulders and the lush jungle. You can around the ruins freely and climb all the hills and boulders, a far cry from U.S. national parks.









Shrine to Hanuman, the monkey king, which still receives offerings today











In some of the temples, there were literally hundreds of these little carved vignettes. The more you walk through the temple, the more of them you notice. Here are a few that stood out.








The long, slender columns are hollow and can actually be played as musical instruments.


The wheels on this chariot are designed to rotate