Ruins of wealth and quiet

Hampi - the name is funny and powerful at the same time. The same applies to the little town itself. When you arrive by bus, you will notice red, round pieces of rock lying on the left and right. It is just as if a giant has come by, holding a bag full of marbles in which there was a hole - because they have been so randomly distributed. There is also something magical to this red on which the sun is shining. And then there is the river, which is just as coral red as the stones. It crinkles friendly between the fresh green which grows and blossoms excessively on the banks.

Hampi has got 'it'; it is magnificent! From the moment you step from the bus into the little town you come under a magic spell. And a lovely spell it is. A rich quiet comes over you and all of India's hustle and bustle sinks into the ground and disappears. One could stay here 'forever'!

Besides its wonderful atmosphere the town has got a rich past, in a literal as well as a metaphorical sense. In the 16th century Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagar empire, which was founded by the brothers Harihara and Bukki and turned into an international centre of trade. So, I am not talking about small coins here, but about gold and diamonds in which people used to trade (in the streets, I mean). The ruins of the temples and the bazaar have still got this sparkle of their famous beauty and wealth from the past. Why did I arrive here five centuries late???

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