On the heritage trail-Part 2

Day 2

The second day was not as intensive on the foot as Day 1 was. We moved from the 16th century Vijayanagar empire back in time to the Chalukyan regime between 12th and 15th centuries. Most important of the Chalukyas was Pulekesi and Vikramaditya I and II. Our first stop was Aihole, about 3 hrs away from Hampi.

Aihole - is popularly known as the cradle of temple sculpture as a lot of artists used it as a test bed for new styles of architecture and stone techniques. A tour guide mentioned in the passing that Aihole was the 'primary school'.









From Aihole, onto Pattadakal(a 15 min drive)

Pattadakal- was the second capital of the Chalukyas. It was the coronation city for Chalukyan kings. Pattadakal was by far my most favorite place of all the ones we visited. Many of the temples in this area were built during the time of Vikramaditya II. Virupaksha temple and the Mallikarjuna temple are some of the more prominent structures in Pattadakal. Our next stop was Badami, the site of the awe-inspiring cave temples.









Badami - was the capital city of Chalukyas, earlier known as Vatapi. The cave temples here are just spellbinding. There are 4 caves- one dedicated to Shiva, the next two to Vishnu and the last cave to Jainism.












Day 3 - Ok, so this is where the mythological side of Hampi surfaces. After a short break away from Hampi, we spent Day 3 back in Hampi. The resort staff had planned for a refreshing hike early in the am along a trail around the place which took us along hanging bridges and the boulders over to a vantage point from where we could view the entire surroundings accompanied by the calming morning winds and lilting river sounds. After a hearty breakfast, we were all set to scale the Anjanadri hill which was the birthplace and abode of Lord Hanuman!

The next stop was at Pampa Sarovar. There is a small lake filled with lotuses and is the location where Sabri is said to have met Lord Rama.

The last stop for the day was at Sanapur Lake(much like ending a meal with curd rice), the calm, clear waters of the lake was a peaceful and befitting end to our 3 day retreat. We went back to Mango Tree for a refreshing lunch and back to our cottage for a well earned siesta.









Our last evening was spent with a cozy campfire and the warm company of the other guests at our wonderful retreat. And thus ended our wonderful getaway into the world of history, sculpture and the finer art of escaping far from the madding crowd.