My Way Is The Highway

Hampi Photography Trip – Sun on the Rocks

Vitthala Temple Courtyard, Hampi

I have been to Hampi twice - in 2000 and 2008, before I was bitten, respectively, by the travel and the photography bug. The two trips could not have been more different. Not knowing what to expect, on my first visit I was introduced to the evocative ruins of the erstwhile Vijayanagara kingdom, perpetually lighting a spark in me that led to the second, for which I came prepared with a long list of things I had to see. It led to a mad dash through rocks and ruins under a blazing April sun.

Since then, I have been to other places in the world. At first, at a hurried, frantic, fast pace. But eventually, I learned to travel slow. Few flights, fewer hotels, two or three cities in a trip, experiencing more of a place than more places… 

That is when I am not on a photography trip. The sole purpose of a photography trip is to come home with beautiful photos. Relaxation and fun is not on the agenda. In fact, my chances of returning with “keepers” is extremely bleak if by the end of the trip, I am not sleep deprived, fatigued and cranky.

This third trip to Hampi was decidedly a photography trip right from the beginning.

The Hidden Gem of Lakshmi Devi Temple at Doddagaddavalli

“Ek aur dekhoge. Saahib?” Sheikh asked me. “Time for one more?”

Sheikh had been driving me around the beautiful Hoysala temples near Hassan in his vintage jeep. He had seen me palpably excited when we reached Belur early in the morning. He had quietly followed me as I relentlessly circumambulated the star shaped platform of the the Chennakeshava temple at Belur feasting on the intricate decorations of the outer walls.

“Isme kya hai saahib? Pathar hee to hai?” He had asked innocently - What’s the fuss about? Its just stone! Not knowing what to say I bought him a cheap copy of the Hoysala architecture guide book, printed in Kannada, and left him to what he did best – drive. After a hearty meal, while the heat outside soared and I dozed for a few minutes, I actually saw him flip through the book. At the Hoysaleshwar Temple at Hallebid, he followed me inside the cool inner sanctum and seemed to listen intently to the guides toneless monolog.

On the drive back, after I thought I had seen what there was to see in the region, he threw the poser my ways – one more? he was asked. It was like asking the local glutton if he cared for another morsel of dessert!

Airavatesvara Temple, Darasuram: The Tombstone of the Chola Dynasty

Alexander the Great is the son of Phillip II of Macedon. Rajaraja Chola, the first great Chola king was succeeded by his son Rajendra Chola. This succession parallels the Phillip-Alexander saga. Great acts of the father were replicated at an early age and one-upped by the even more prodigal sons.

But then how many stars can a dynasty produce? Has anybody heard of Alexander’s son? or grandson? History has very few examples of a super star son following a star father; a star grandson is literally unknown. (The pre-common era Maurya dynasty that produced, in an unbroken sequence - Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusar and Ashoka the Great - is the only triad that comes to mind).

The Chola rule was on the decline by the time Rajaraja Chola II came to power in the middle of the 12th century. The Chola’s had lost most of their territory on the Deccan plateau. They had lost their grip on Sri Lanka. They were barely holding on to a sliver of land on the southern peninsula of India.

The Airavatesvara temple is a production of this era, and it shows. Gone are the soaring vimanaas (towers) that were taller than the gopurams and the sweeping temple complexes that were the hallmark of the temples build by the Chola empire at its peak. The impossible-is-nothing granite of Rajaraja Chola’s Brihadeeswara gives way to black stone, announcing a more pragmatic I-am-mortal attitude by King Rajaraja Chola II, a grave reflection of the reality of his times.

The Brihadeeswara temple is a chest thumping monument to a monumental victory on the battlefield. Airavetesvara is an ode to an art – the art of dancing – bharat natyam.

In that context, Airavetesvara temple is beautiful. The inner sanctum is small and peaceful. The absence of a buzzing crowd, induced partly by the one hour drive one has to undertake from Thanjavur, makes the pace of this temple sedate.  The manthapa of the temple, the prayer hall, has 108 exquisitely carved pillar, each showcasing a pose of Bharat Natyam. Your guide will proudly point out nuances that the artisans of yesteryears poured into the carvings of this temple. It is well worth a hot afternoon.

My favorite spot on the temple wall is on the west facade. Notice the blackened carving that looks like an elevator? It is a cross section of a shiva lingam, with an image of Shiva carved inside the oval pseudo-opening.  I have never seen anything like this before.

There are several myths associated with this temple. Stories that place mythical figures of Airavat – the carrier elephant of the king of the gods,  and Yama – the lord of death, in the vicinity of the Airavatesvara temple. Does it not sound like advertisements? The type that falls back on the age old panacea - when everything fails, dial–in the religion?

The Chola dynasty extinguished within 150 years of the consecration of Airavatesvara. Airavatesvara remains the last of the Great Living Temples of Chola, a tidy tombstone of the tenacious Chola rule.

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Airavatesvara Picture Gallery