Gandikota

Hampi

Ramalinga Nayaka, came out of the Veerabhadra Temple, atop the Matanga Hill, and looked down at the valley below. The hill named after the Rishi who resided here, the hill where Sugreeva and Hanuman, took refuge after having been banished by Vali. The ruler of the Vanara kingdom of Kishkinda, the brother of Sugreeva, known for his superhuman strength, in front of which even the mighty Ravana was powerless. But cursed with an equal amount of arrogance, that made him fling the caracass of a demon Dundhubi he had killed, into the ashram of Rishi Matanga, who cursed Vali that he would die if he were to set foot here. 

The hill now stood right in the center of the great city, that spread out in circular layers around it's foot, as the sun rose from the distant peaks, bathing the city in a hue of gold and red, that glowed with resplendence in the valley below. 

Hampi, the city of fabled riches, a mighty city of seven walls that encircled seven citadels spreading out into the horizon. Hampi, a city whose magnificience, drew travellers from Persia, Italy, Portugal, Arabia, who wrote glowing accounts of it's splendor. A city that drew sculptors, artists, poets, writers to it's bossom, where they prospered and would play their role in the city's rise.

Hampi, the city that was founded by the brothers Harihara and Bukka Raya, centuries ago,on the advice of their guru Vidyaranya, when they had seen a pair of wild hares give chase to their hunting hounds.

And on the other side of the Tungabhadra River, on whose banks Hampi stood proud, was it's twin city  Anegondi, which was believed to be Kishkinda, the land of the Vanaras, in Ramayana.  And Hampi itself derived it's name from Pampa, the fabled river that had once graced Kishkinda.

As a child, Ramalinga was struck by wonder and awe, when he first held his father's hand and walked through the streets of Hampi. The towering palaces, the bazaars where pearls and rubies were sold like fruits, the huge statue of Narasimha towering over the city square like it's guardian. Over the years, many a time, he had visited the city, many a battle he had fought for it. Yet every time, he saw the city, the sheer magnificence of the city, never failed to overwhelm him. 

As he rode down the Matanga hill, the massive walls of the city began to come into view slowly, while on the other side, the canals spread out in an intricate network, gurgled with the sound of water being carried from the Tungabhadra to the denizens of Hampi. These canals and aquedeucts were a lifeline to the great city, in an otherwise arid region, with no water sources nor perennial rivers.

Small shrines clung precariously on jutting rocks and boulders, that seemed accessible only to animals and birds. Guards checked the produce coming in through the gates, levying octroi on the goods that were bought from the harbors of Bhatkal, Mangalore. Ramalinga looked out on the city, as people went about their daily chores, dressed in their colorful turbans, robes, angavastrams. 

Merchants put up their wares in the numerous stalls lining the Virupaksha Bazaar , flanked by ornate arcades, while the public servants were readying to begin their day's work at the Daftar Khanah. The mahouts were tending to the elephants in the stables, while the Governor sat secure in his stately mansion, guarded by around twelve thousand soldiers.

It seemed just another day in Hampi, it was a month  since that momentous battle at Raichur, after which the hostilities with the Bahmanis had effectively ceased. Ismail Adil Shah had given up his plans for further conquests, and last heard, he was working towards building up alliances with the other Bahmani rulers. Ostensibly there was peace in the kingdom, but Ramalinga was not really sure for how long. There was no way, Ismail Adil Shah, would quietly accept the loss of Raichur, for sure he would be making his own plans.

Ramalinga dismounted from his horse, and bowed in reverence before the huge Narasimha idol, that towered over the city like a protector. Around him, stood the huge and stately mansions and palaces of the nobles, and a whole lot of public offices.