The Royal Enclosures Hampi Trail to the Elephants stable & Lotus Mahal

With this post, I conclude my three- series of Hampi trails. The first trail took you through the splendors of Virupaksha temple while the second one had its spotlight on the magnificent Vijaya Vittala temple. In all these, I wonder if you noticed that the palaces & mansions of the noblemen were missing. Time to find those – on this third trail of Hampi Attractions– one that takes you through the Royal enclosures, Lotus Mahal and more. The post includes the royal section of the places to visit in Hampi.

This route of the Royal Enclosures Hampi trail tells you the story of how this 14th century Vijayanagara Empire was buried under the sands of time. A lot of what is left is just foundation – the grandeur has got buried under the sands of time. However, even those few which are intact will leave you mystified. This trail is quite unlike the earlier ones and as important in your list of places to visit in Hampi. So, let’s get started!

Places to visit in Hampi on Trail Three

Akka Tangi Gudda

The third trail starts from the point where I ended my Virupaksha temple trail and includes the key royal structures in your places to visit in Hampi. The Lakshmi Narasimha temple with its huge statue was something that I saw as a part of this trail. After you see that, instead of heading back to Hampi Bazaar, all you have to do is continue further on the track. You will see an unusual stone formation marked as Akka Tangi Gudda.  This means “Sisters Stones“.

While it is not a major stop, it signals the start of the third trail towards the Royal enclosures. The peculiarity of these two stones is a legend that goes back to the glory days of Hampi. As the tale goes, there were two sisters who came to Hampi and got jealous of the magnificence of the place. They uttered some bitter words and in turn, were cursed (not sure by whom). The curse turned them into stones that you see.

To me, these stones were like a gateway to a different side of Hampi – a more administrative and royal side. The first major stop of this being an unusual underground temple.

Underground Shiva Temple in Hampi

Built a few meters below the ground, this temple is quite unique from the others like the Virupaksha temple and the Vittala temple in Hampi. It does not have any of those grand structures but the uniqueness lies in the fact that the temple is generally submerged in water and one needs to wade through the same to reach the inner sanctums.

The fun lies in being able to wade through the water and navigate to see the rest of the place. The reason why this particular temple is flooded is also, not clear. There are inlets and outlets detected but what their actual purpose was – no one knows. The water here is said to be of River Tungabhadra. When the dam along the river is opened, the water level in the temple rises.

Besides the temple, the place also served as a Gurukul or a school for the Royal Princes. You can even visit the beautiful Kalyana Mantappa that served as a venue for Royal weddings and holy ceremonies. They say that the famous Vijayanagara King Krishnadevaraya made a lot of donations to this temple.

The place as a beautiful lawn around it and some lovely photographic points. Since it is a little away from the main road, it is not crowded as well. Opposite this Underground Shiva temple is some ruins that look as if they have just been excavated. These used to be the homes of various noblemen. Referred to as Noblemen’s quarters, these foundation stones are all that is left of what might have been some glorious mansions.

Danaik’s Enclosure

Further down the Noblemen’s Quarters is an area that the historians believe to be the administrative or military area. This was possibly where the royal mint was located. If you walk along those ruins, you will find a few platforms that were used to mount elephants.

Danaik means a mayor or a commander. This area has remnants of granaries, a dining hall and even a ruined palace. The palace is said to belong the 3rd King – Vira Harihara. You can only see the base with a few aqueducts now. There are only three intact structures here – one is the Mohammedan Watch Tower – a guard tower. The 2nd is a mosque without a dome. In fact, there are intricate carvings that suggest that this might not have been a mosque. And the third monument is Band Tower. This one seems like another watchtower.

Hazara Rama Temple – an important Hampi attraction

“Hazar” means 1000. And no, it is not because there are 1000 Rama idols here. This temple is called so as every panel here has a carving from the epic Ramayana. The Hazara Rama temple must have been the royal temple for it is at a junction of all paths that lead to important mansions and palaces. As per what the guide told us, this temple was used by the King for all his prayers and offerings.

Royal Enclosure of Hampi

Huge doors greet you when you reach the Royal Enclosures behind the Hazara Rama Temple. These doors are no longer erect but fallen. The sheer size of these is what makes them impressive. If you have a guide with you, he is bound to share the stone door hinges that are found a little ahead at the actual entrance of the Royal Enclosure.

The first thing that you are likely to see here is a huge platform. This is called the Mahanavami Dibba. This was actually a viewing platform for celebrations like Dusshera. It is a great vantage point to see the expanse of the Royal Enclosure. Though I could only see the ongoing excavations, various foundations of buildings and lone structures like the stepwell, I could well imagine how grand it might have been back then.

Stepwell in the Royal Enclosure

This was one beautiful structure. The precise cuts of the stairs and its artistic symmetry bowled me over. One can walk down to the first two levels but beyond the same, is not really allowed. The place was surrounded by a canal system with the ancient pipes. There is a small area near the canals which used to be a washing area for vessels. You can even see some ancient plates and placeholders that were found here.

Public Bath

Beyond the Stepwell, is a huge – and I mean humongous – swimming pool. Referred to as a Public Bath, this is not just in terms of the length but also, the depth. Our guide said that this was not just used for bathing but also, for some water games. Now that I am sure, was an interesting affair.

Underground Chamber in the Royal Enclosure

Between the King’s Pavilion and the Stepwell is the underground chamber that was used by the king for his meeting. Entry to the same is next to the Pavilion. It has narrow steps that lead to some rooms.

Queen’s Bath – an important stop in your Hampi Itinerary

Your next stop after the Royal Enclosures will need you to exit and walk to your left. It is a little away from the other ruins but the Queen’s bath is well worth your effort to get there.

Straight from the Fairy tales and possibly an inspiration for the giant Prefect’s bathtub that finds a mention in Harry Potter, this is a little building that is open to the sky and used to serve as a bath for the King and his wives. The building has a canal around it for the water and as you enter it, lovely little jharokhas or balconies around it. You can see lots of aqueducts that serve as inlets for the water.  One can spot some drainage holes as well within the bath. It is said that the water used to be mixed with fragrance and flowers for the Royal Bath. A flight of stairs leads to the bath area.

If you are up to walking some more, you can hike a little further from the Queen’s bath to see the huge Octagonal Bath. Along the way, you can also, visit the Saraswathi temple and Chandrashekhara temple. You can even see the basements of several palaces here.

Zenana Enclosure

Once you are done with the Queen’s bath and the Royal Enclosure, you will need to head back to the Hazara Rama Temple. Take the third lane that you have not taken so far. This leads to what is termed as the Zenana Enclosure.

The Zenana enclosure used to be an area for the Royal ladies. Here you can see the ruins of the Queen’s palace and the beautiful Lotus Mahal. While all that remains of the Queen’s palace, it is the Lotus Mahal that will awe you.

Lotus Mahal of Hampi

The Lotus Mahal is one of the most important places to visit in Hampi. The lovely monument with its stunning symmetry is one of the few royal structures that has escaped destruction. It is the Lotus like resemblance that has lent its name to the structure. It is also, referred to as Kamal Mahal or Chitrangani Mahal. The palace was used for recreational evenings by the ladies of the zenana. It is said that the Queen of Krishnadevaraya loved spending time here. A part of this palace was also, used as a council for the King and his ministers.

The lovely monument is a classic fusion of Hindu and Islamic style architecture. It has remnants of the aqua-ducts that used to take water to the different parts of the Mahal and spray around so that the interiors remained cool. There is a small well behind the Mahal that stored water for the same. One can walk around the ground floor while the upper floor is out of bounds. The Mahal has some lovely inscriptions of Lotus on their walls.

Around the enclosure, you can spot a few watch-towers. One of them has steps that can be climbed up to the first floor. It is said that the watchmen here were Eunuchs as this used to be the Ladies area.

Elephant Stables in Hampi

There is a small treasury room, which is windowless at the corner of the Zenana enclosure. One can visit the same whilst here. Right behind the Lotus Mahal are the Elephant Stables. This is the other significant part of the Hampi ruins that you must include in your list of Hampi attractions.

They are not ordinary, straight lined structures but massive one with domes on them. As evident, the royal elephants were housed here. Walking amidst them made me feel like a midget. While I explored them,  I found quite a few thoughtful inclusions within. Like the metal rungs and small human-size openings- possibly for the Mahouts to enter. Though separate, each of those chambers is interconnected.

A tip here - the entrance tickets to the Zenana enclosure also, includes entry to the Vittala temple. You might want to preserve the same.

Next to them are another set of buildings that are referred to as the Guards Quarters. These too, have escaped the ravages of time and are currently used to display the archaeological finds of this massive UNESCO Heritage Site – Hampi.

With this, I conclude my tri-part series on Hampi. Following these three trails will allow you to capture all the important places to visit in Hampi. Besides these, there is also, an offbeat Hampi trail that takes you to the other bank of Tungabhadra. If you have around 3 days, you can include that too, to your Hampi list. Like I always say, one visit might not seem enough for this ghost town. Every subsequent visit will allow you to find a new treasure here. I still am digging up some – I wonder if you have one that I am yet to explore. If so, please do let me know for I would love to visit that.

If you loved reading this one, you will enjoy my first Hampi trail through Virupaksha temple and the 2nd one along the stone chariots & musical pillars of Vittala temple. Also, check out my offbeat Hampi trail on the other side of Tungabhadra. 

 On how to get to Hampi and travel tips on places to stay in Hampi, please refer to this post.