Lets continue our Journey into the lost city of Hampi,
In 1529 one of the greatest empire that south India produced "Sri Krishnadevaraya"died of illness , before his death he nominated his brother Achyuta Raya as his successor
In 1542 Achyuta Deva Raya dies and his son Venkata Raya became king , Venakata Raya was a weak ruler after he was killed , Sadasiva Raya (Achyuta Raya's nephew) who was a minor became the King
Sadasiva raya was controlled by Rama Raya his Minister , and Rama Raya appointed 2 Muslim commanders in his army, a mistake that costed the entire Vijayanagara empire.
A case of treachery by Muslim commanders resulted in Battle of Talikota and Victory of Sultans
Battle of Talikota in 1565 AD was a blow to Hindus by the Deccan sultanates from which Vijayanagara never recovered .
It took 6 months for the Sultans to destroy Hampi
The city where Gold and Diamonds were sold on streets no longer
exists, i understand that sultans looted all the Gold and Diamonds , but what i dont understand is why did the sultans destroy the Idols and Deity inside the temples? A mystery!
The oldest and the one and only surviving temple of Hampi is Virupaksha temple .
Virupaksha temple is dedicated to Virupaksha an aspect of Lord Shiva is the core of the village Hampi can be a starting point of exploration , since its inception in 7th century its standing tall and there is a priest inside the temple
Temple Complex ,
A close up of the temple.
The road to the temple where once Gold and Diamonds were sold on the streets.
The temple was renovated By Sri Krishnadevaraya in 1510 AD after its inception in 7th century
King Krishnadevaraya dedicated this inner hall to Lord Shiva
Lakshmi the temple elephant
Blessed again , we love our King Sri Krishnadevaraya
Vijayanagara overwhelms every visitor with its glory and then by grief .
This grief brings some lessons , lessons about which i will write in my third post related to Hampi Vijaya Vittala Temple
Mutilated and destroyed ..
Temple complex
Virupaksha temple complex ,
Hemakuta hill
Here are some of my captures of a kingdom that was once the largest of its era in south India
Yes 14th century Map and Vijayanagara was second largest to Beijing in China
The hill is sprinkled with many temples but now dark and silent without Idol and Deity
The tragic fall of Vijayanagara empire because of treachery and betrayal of trust .
The silent stones
Sri Krishnadevaraya used to weigh himself against Gold and Diamonds and give away the wealth to the poor and the needy on solar and lunar eclipse days
Even today the stone stands as a testimony to the super human deeds of Sri Krishnadevaraya .
Still not solved the mystery of missing deity and surprised ....
The temples that is deprived of its deity is dark and silent
what i dont understand is the capacity of Man's religious hatredness
Do you think these stones are silent ?
A stack of stones and rocks from far , but actually when you get closer you see the difference …
They have witnessed many dynasties who ruled over the kingdom , these rocks have seen the battle , the victory of Vijayanagara Empire and the defeat of Vijayanagara Empire , they have seen the glory of Vijayanagara Empire and the fall of Vijayanagara Empire
They have also seen the greed for money, the fight between Hindu and Muslim and is standing as a proof of Man’s religious hatredness.
In this city the moment you enter , History comes to life ,
But ,It has not lost the charm it had held once .
The landscape …the rocks and the stones
..Is telling a story to everyone who is passing by,
Time standing still....as if we just got defeated in the Battle of Talikota very recently ..
The rocks of Hampi is telling the story of Murder and devastation
Gold and diamonds were stolen , but no one could damage the art and architecture
The rocks standing tall,
The stories that these rocks could tell if only they could speak,
But then I realised they do speak , they have a message for us
They stand as a.....
As a testimony to the king
As a testimony to the artisans and magic of their hands
They talk God and temples
They talk about people who lived here
They witnessed the battles and victory and defeat
They witnessed king’s rule and finally
They also witnessed greed and envy ruled over
everything else .
Today we dont have kings , but yes most of us who are reading the post here is ruled by Envy and Greed , hahaha.....
and not to be forgotten ......
I wonder if this is an important message for us .
A message that life is beautiful and one should not fight over
religion and language ,
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