It was close to 5:00 pm by the time we finished with the sights at the Vitthala temple complex. There were buggy rides ferrying people from the Vitthala temple to the car park, driving along the length of the 1 km long bazaar or Chariot street. People were standing in queue waiting for the rides, enjoying ice lolly and peanuts sold by a street vendor outside the temple complex. Some people decided to throw their entry tickets to the temple by the side of the temple itself; it’s sad to see the historic sites being littered !

Could we also maybe take the buggy back, we were tried from all the walking !? Apparently, not possible; our vehicle was parked near the Virupaksha temple car park and the only way to get back there was to retrace our path along the banks of the river. The buggy rides were in the opposite direction to the Vitthala temple care park only !

Evening now and the sun’s slant rays were less fierce; we started the walk back along the river bank. Besides us, there were maybe two or three people walking back and the stretch was peaceful and lonely as before. In the pic below, you can see the towering gopuram of the Virupaksha on the left side, our destination !

Soon we reached the site by the river where we had previously seen the the coracles. And by now the place was merry with people and the coracles rides were underway. Evenings are pleasant, the heat of the sun had reduced to a golden glow reflected from the boulders and the sun together with the breeze created silver ripples on the surface of the river. Even if you don’t fancy the coracle ride, you can sit here and watch the scene for sometime !

The reverie was broken by hunger and thirst pangs; so we moved on. Further down, there was a seller of sculptures; I wanted a piece of stone carving from Hampi. I would have really liked a pillar, but no pillars. I picked a spherical T candle holder. The man asked us to pick the white marble sculpture of elephants standing in a row too, but we decided to settle for one piece and it was the candle holder.

We were completing the last stretch along the river bank and suddenly a monkey decide that it had a bone to pick with me🐒. Why me ⁉️ Maybe it was the bag or the red shirt or my hat; I don’t know !? It was not the common monkeys you usually see around, the Rhesus macaque variety (I looked it up on the net); it’s fur was much darker and it’s dark face was framed by a light circle of hair, I think it must have been what is called the Gray langur or Hanuman monkeys, it had a longer tail too.

I didn’t have any food item with me, then why !? It was screeching at me and started to come forward. To run or not to run !? Run…… 🏃‍♀️ and a few steps ahead, the monkey stopped; maybe I had crossed it’s territory; do monkey’s mark their territory ?? I have no clue; but I kept looking back, just in case it decided to have a go again. Luckily the rest of the walk back was uneventful😅.

Hubs was curious, he claimed that the monkey warriors in these lands last had fights only with Ravan’s rakshasas (demons) and “maybe they were reminded of their old enemy, a rakshasi 😈 when they saw you.”🤣

That’s one day in Hampi Vijayanagar. We missed the royal trail consisting of the palace ruins and associated structures. There is lots to see. Maybe another time !🤞

Till next post, take care 👒