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Royal Orchid Hotel Bangalore
We flew into Bangalore on a balmy day in October. Arrangements were made for our stay the Royal Orchid Bangalore. The hotel car was picking us up at the airport. We walked out of the airport wondering how to spot the car. To our pleasant surprise a hotel representative in uniform approached us and took us to the car. It was a long drive to the hotel in the center of the city.
We were greeted with cool drinks and the check in was very quick. The room has all the amenities of a typical five star hotel. The staff was always pleasant and helpful and attended to every request promptly. We had a wonderful lunch at the Limelight restaurant, a warm and cozy place with fabulous view of the golf course. The buffet featured traditional Indian as well as international dishes and everything was cooked perfectly. It was a pleasure to meet manager Hari Kumar and executive chef Sudhir Nair.
Early next morning we were leaving for Hospet. Since we were staying at this hotel for another day on our return, the manger made arrangements to store our baggage and give us the same room on our return. Chef Nair packed breakfast for us to take in our car. Only when we opened the packages we realized what a sumptuous spread it was. There were muffins, croissants, jams, upma with two different chutneys- the list goes on. There were lots of fruits and fruit drinks as well. Our driver Girish from the Royal Orchid Hotel who drove us to Hampi was very professional.
After a six hours long drive from Bangalore, around mid -afternoon we arrived at the Royal Orchid Central, Kireeti in Hospet. By the time we finished a leisurely and sumptuous lunch, it was four in the evening. It was late to walk around the ruins and we decided go for a drive. By late evening the sky was drenched in brilliant hues of orange and red and the sunset was brilliant, silhouetting the boulders as the sun slowly faded at the tip of the horizon. Since we had a hectic day ahead of us, after a splendid supper at the hotel we decided to retire early. More on this hotel later-
A day at the Hampi Ruins
A brief History
Vijayanagara Empire established in 1336 AD was the largest empire in post-mogul India, stretching over most of south India. Its capital city once boasted riches known far beyond the shores of India. The empire reigned supreme under Emperor Krishnadevaraya. The destruction of Vijayanagara by Moghul invaders was sudden, shocking and absolute. Vijayanagara army suffered heavy losses and the city was reduced to ruins. Treasure hunters vandalized its palaces and temples. Its impressive ruins scattered over a very large area amidst giant boulders and vegetation in central Karnataka is known best as Hampi. For centuries Hampi remained a neglected place. It is now a protected UNESCO world heritage center. Every temple, every palace, and every monument silently recounts the story of the grandeur of a glorious past.
Hampi Tour
The Next day after an early breakfast we drove to the ruins. Our tour guide was waiting for us near the site. A local man with a degree in history, Mr. Gouda was an enthusiastic guide who was keen on telling us about every minute detail. There are far too many things to see in Hampi, and I knew that I would barely scan the surface in just one day. The first thing that strikes one in Hampi is the huge boulders - they are everywhere. The wind and rain swept boulders stand silent testimony to the Vijayanagara kings’ visions, spirituality, appreciation of arts, and foresight. The important ruins of Hampi are divided into two parts, about 3 kilometers apart - the Sacred Center and the Royal Center. Scared Center encloses religious sites while the Royal Center encloses the royal buildings.
Our Guide Mr. Gouda
Part I - Sacred Center
We started our tour at the sacred center made up of distinct temple districts, partly defined by fort walls. Many of these great temple complexes overlook the holy river Thungabhadra. Siva temples are located primarily to the west and Vishnu temples are primarily to the east. Some of the oldest active temples in India are also here.
Hemakuta Hill
Our tour started at the northeastern sloping ledge of Hemakuta hill where some of the early shrines are located. Two temples dedicated to lord Ganesha - Kadalekalu Ganesha and Sasivekalu Ganesha are not far from each other. The giant fifteen feet tall monolithic s sculpture of Kadalekalu Ganesha was carved out of a single huge boulder. Kadalekalu means gram seed shaped - the belly of this sculpture resembles a Bengal gram seed. It is installed in an inner sanctum surrounded by a pillared mantapa. Its slender long pillars are highly ornate with mythical themes. The Hemakuta hilltop is a good viewing platform for Hampi bazar and Matanga Hill. Located close by is the temple of Sasivekalu Ganesha or mustard seed Ganesha. The stepped path and the two-storied gateway to the hilltop are just behind these shrines.
Virupaksha Temple complex
We slowly trekked down the hill towards the Virupaksha temple complex. This temple is dedicated to Lord Siva, the patron deity of the Vijayanagara rulers. The temple consists of a double-walled compound, which is entered through towered gopuras on the east and north. Painted in pastel colors, the nine storied east gopura of the temple is one of the most prominent land marks of Hampi. The lower two tiers of the gopura have decorated stone work. The exterior of the first tier has many interesting stucco figures. The main temple has two courtyards. Inside the first courtyard there is a sculpture of an unusual triple headed Nandi. The three storied second gopura and the striking central pillared Ranga Mantapa were built in 1510 by King Krishnadevaraya. This mantapa is used for temple rituals including the marriage ceremonies. The mural panel on the central portion of the mantapa is one of the few remains of this form of Vijayanagara art.
At the center of the complex is the shrine of Virupaksha in linga form. This temple also has sanctums for Pampa and Bhuvaneshwari. The original temple was only a few separate humble shrines built in the seventh century. Over the centuries the temple gradually expanded into a sprawling complex with many shrines, pillared mantapas, flag posts, lamp posts, towered gopuras and a large temple kitchen. It is one of the few temples where worship is continued, uninterrupted for centuries ever since its inception, making this one of the oldest active temples in India. The huge north gopura near the main sanctum leads to the temple’s sacred pond, the Manmantha Tank, and a series of shrines. In days gone by the road leading to the temple called Hampi bazar was lined with shops where gold, diamonds, horses and cows were traded. Today it is full of shops selling knick knacks, flowers and food to tourists.
Ugra Narasimha / Laxmi Narasimha
From the temple we drove to the iconic sculpture of Ugra Narasimha -Narasimha in his frightening posture sitting on the coil of a giant seven headed serpent with its head acting as a hood. It is believed that there was a sculpture of Lakshmi on his lap that was seriously damaged during the Muslim invasions. Hand of Lakshmi is visible at his back, and many believe it is a sculpture of Lakshmi Narasimha. This is the largest sculpture in Hampi. There is an inscription nearby which states that it was sculpted from a single boulder in 1528 during the reign of Krishnadevaraya.
Badava Linga
Located close to the Narasimha is the largest monolithic sculpture of Siva linga in Hampi. The sanctum is always filled with water, a water channel to run through it.
Balakrishna Temple
Krishnadevaraya built this temple in 1513 to celebrate the conquest of Udayagiri (Orissa). This is another beautiful but non-functioning temple. The main eastern gopura has numerous carvings including the ten incarnations (dasavathara) of Vishnu. It is also covered with detailed figures of warriors portraying the conquest. The story of the temple and the conquest of Udayagiri are sculpted on a huge granite slab installed inside the courtyard of the temple. The main sanctum is an empty dark chamber today. The idol installed in the temple was of Balakrishna; it is believed that the king brought it with him after his conquest. It is now at the state museum at Chennai. The pillars at the entrance to the mantapa have spectacular sculptures of mythical lions and elephant shaped handrails. There are many small shrines and mantapas inside the courtyard. Remnants of the old temple kitchen are on the southeast corner of the courtyard.
Opposite the temple there is a clearing which was the chariot street that once led to the temple. There was a huge bazaar here, where merchants brought various things to sell. Today, there is just a plain stretch of land. The granite covered pathways on the side have withstood the wear and tear of centuries. At the farther end there is a temple pond with structures around. There is a water channel that brings water to the tank from the main aqueduct. Near the west gopura of the temple there is a narrow passage leading to a large rectangular building which was the granary used to store grains for the rituals in the temple.
Old Hampi Bazar
Vithala Temple Complex
This temple dedicated to Vithala (Vishnu) is the most splendid and extravagant architectural showpiece of Hampi. This was another temple that was originally constructed in the fifteenth century by Krishnadevaraya to commemorate his victory over Orissa. Many of the succeeding kings enhanced it over the years. The temple is built in the form of a sprawling campus with walls and gopuras. There are many mantapas, pavilions and temples located inside this site. Although it has suffered damage and is no longer in worship, this temple complex showcases the most beautiful stone chariot and pillared mantapas. The stone chariot is an iconic structure of Hampi. It is a Garuda shrine shaped as a chariot on wheels. The chariot is built on a rectangular platform and mythical battle scenes are carved all around it. Carvings and decorative features that adorn the Stone Chariot cleverly hide its joints making it appear like a monolithic sculpture.
In front of the shrine stands the great Maha-Mantapa on a highly decorative platform carved with a series of motifs. The lowermost of it is a chain of horses, trainers and traders. The highlight of the Maha-Mantapa is its richly carved giant pillars. Its roof is supported by huge granite pillars, each consisting of a central pillar surrounded by detached ornate pillars, all cut from a single block of stone. The outermost of the pillars are called the musical pillars. Their slender columns emit musical notes when tapped. The eastern mantapa is called the musicians hall with sculptures of musicians drummers and dancers. The northern mantapa has a series of pillars with carvings of Narasimha; the most notable being that of Narasimha slaying Hiranyakashipu with Prahlada sitting at the base in a praying posture. There is no idol in the inner sanctum. The outer wall of the sanctum is richly decorated with lotus motifs and an image of a bull and elephant that share a head. The left portion is complete as a bull and the right as an elephant! Other attractions include the Goddess’s shrine, the 100-pillared mantapa and the Kalayna Mantapa. Colonnaded bazaar streets outside the temple lead to shrines dedicated to Vaishnavite saints.
The site is well maintained and clean and private vehicles are stopped at a car park on the main road leading to the temple. From here to the temple is a short walk of about 10 minutes, and they have introduced battery operated vehicles to take tourists to the site.
Part II - The Royal Center:
Royal Center was the citadel of the Vijayanagara capital. Sprawling over hundreds of square feet, this fortified area is scattered with a number of interesting relics. Some of the important structures in this area include Hazara Rama Temple, Lotus Mahal, Elephant Stables, Royal Enclosure and the Queen’s Bath.
Hazara Rama Temple
This was the private temple of the Vijayanagara kings. This beautiful temple is not as huge as the other temples in the city and was used for royal ceremonies. The main attraction of the temple is the series of scenes from the Ramayana carved on the walls of the mantapa. There are many delicate and fascinating sculptures showing some of the important events from the epic Ramayana. The walls also showcase murals of processions of elephants and horses and dancing girls and soldiers attired in grand armor. This is not a functioning temple.
Mahanavami Dibba or the House of Victory
The most imposing edifice in the royal center, the Mahanavami Dibba was another monument constructed to commemorate King Krishnadevaraya’s victory over Udaygiri (Orissa). Archeologists believe that this platform had undergone enhancements under succeeding kings. The kings of Vijayanagara sat on a grand throne in the House of Victory and witnessed the nine-day Dasara festival.
This sprawling square structure is built in three layers. From a distance this looks just like an elevated square platform. As you go close, the details emerge. It is the tallest structure in the royal center and rises to a height close to forty feet. This impressive structure has carvings depicting scenes from royal ceremonies to everyday life in the empire. The eastern side is highly decorated with carvings of elephants, and horses. There are two stairways to reach the top. There is no evidence of a structure above the platform; it was probably temporary, or ruined completely. Mahanavami Dibba gives a panoramic view of the surroundings. Unfortunately none of the exalted structures around it have survived to tell us their stories.
The huge granite stone door that once stood at its entrance is now resting outside on the grounds. Elephants were used open these heavy doors.
King’s Audience Hall
King's Audience Hall or the hundred Pillared mantapa is within the enclosure in the northwest area. The structure is drastically damaged but remnants of a stone stairway at the rear indicate it was a two-storied structure. On the platform there are sockets of the wooden pillars that were once part of the superstructure. This was the place where kings gave public audience and listened to grievances.
Aqueducts and Stepped Tank
There are several remains of ancient aqueducts and canals around Hampi. These hundreds of years old pipelines made of stone were once used to bring water from the Tungabhadra to the tanks and baths of the king’s palaces. One branch of the aqueduct was leading to nowhere and archeological excavations in 1985 led to the discovery of the stepped tank.
Stepped tank is located in the southeast area. It has five landings each connected with steps. A very long elevated aqueduct supply water to the pond. It looks like an inverted pyramid.
Each block has a mason mark; probably they were built elsewhere and assembled at this place.
Queen's Bath
This is an unassuming rectangular building in the royal center with no decorative features on the outside. But it is totally different once you enter the building. There is a big granite pond in the middle surrounded by open veranda around. The arches in the veranda are built in Islamic architectural style. Many sculpted aqueducts positioned around once fed water into this pond. There is a water canal surrounding the building and a small garden in the front.
Zenena Enclosure
This walled area was the private enclosure for the women of the royal family. The Queen's Palace was located at the middle of this area; only its base remains today. The entire area is surrounded by tall stone walls. There are octagonal and square watchtowers with balconies at the corners of the enclosure where once eunuch soldiers guarded the area. The royal Treasury building was located at the northwest corner of the enclosure.
Lotus Mahal
Lotus Mahal is located inside the Zenena enclosure. It was a socializing area for the women in the royal family. Unlike the other major structures in Hampi, this is constructed of lime mortar and brick. This two storied structure has an open base floor. Curved eaves around the building protect the walls from the sun and rain. Eight pyramidal towers rise over the central and corner bays of the building; a ninth tower above the central bay is similar but higher. The upper floor has balconies with tall arched windows. Its archways and the balcony with their domed construction resemble a half opened lotus bud. The architecture is a mix of Hindu and Islamic styles. This building dates back to the reign of Ramaraya, a successor of Krishnadevaraya.
Elephant Stables
Elephant stables is a short walk from the Lotus Mahal. It is a long, enormous structure with eleven chambers that once housed royal elephants that were part of the Navarathri festival processions. Each chamber has attractive arched entrance.
There was a whole lot more to explore around Hampi; perhaps, at some other time. Our guide had warned us about the vastness of the ruins and we chose “the tour of important sites” that we could cover in a day. I was a bit disappointed that the tourist information available at Hampi information center is rather inadequate. Anegondi was the former capital of the region; Hampi became the capital in later years. The many attractions in Anegondi are sadly missing from the map of the so called important sites. Information about famous musicians (Purandaradasa) and philosophers from the region who were patronized by the Vijayanagara kings, their abodes, and mantapas erected in their honor are seldom mentioned. With so many foreign and domestic tourists arriving at Hampi, it is unfortunate that a concise list including all important sites is not available.
I was both exhilarated and exhausted after a day of trekking over the hills and walking in the sun. Bottles of chilled water in the car were a welcome sight. A short drive took us back to the comforts of Hotel Royal Orchid Central, Kireeti.
Royal Orchid Central, Kireeti
When we arrived at Royal Orchid Central, Kireeti after a six hour drive from Bangalore we were surprised to hear loud drum beats at the door. A young drummer clad in traditional clothing was welcoming the arriving guests with drum beats at the entrance. A smiling staff member clad in a beautiful sari welcomed us in the traditional south Indian way with a lighted oil lamp and sindoor. The subdued elegance of this traditional welcome was quite charming. You feel you have arrived at an Indian home rather than a hotel. An extremely friendly and helpful staff offered us cold face towels and refreshing cold drinks even before we checked in. Within minutes the manager Dhanraj Singh was there to greet us.
Check-in went fast and we were accompanied to our room at the back of the hotel surrounding the huge swimming pool. The room was sparkling clean and very quiet. It had a huge comfortable king size bed with wonderfully soft pillows and Western style luxurious bathroom. There was a nice furnished patio outside the room.
After freshening up we went to the restaurant for lunch. The courteous and smiling staff was waiting to please every guest. The chef had prepared a sumptuous multi course lunch starting with baby asparagus and stuffed mushrooms. Chilled and warm soups, delicious appetizers and main courses followed. There were both Western and Indian dishes. I enjoyed the Indian ones the most, especially the warm slow cooked makhni dal and the basket of fresh Indian breads. The chef and his assistants were in constant attendance coaxing us to try every dish and urging us to have a little more – just as any Indian family would do. The desserts were presented beautifully, but I was too full to enjoy all three.
Antipasti platter( green gazpacho/grilled mushroom with guava reduction/buttered asparagus with chilly jam)
Panzanella Toscana with tomato basil cream
At dinner our table was set with lighted candles and bowls of floating flowers. The chef delighted us with even more variety of dishes. Next morning we went for an early breakfast. Freshly made south Indian decoction coffee served with hot milk and sugar was a rare treat. The breakfast buffet included both Indian and Western dishes and a variety of fresh fruit juices, coffee and tea. The hotel arranged for a knowledgeable guide to take us around the Hampi ruins.
We returned to the hotel late in the afternoon exhausted and hungry after the tour on Hampi ruins. Once again the smiling faces and fresh cold towels at the reception were a welcome sight. We asked the chef if we could have a simple meal and he produced the most delicious soft phulkas along with dal and sabji. These were breakfasts, lunches, and dinners I would I always remember.
Hot soft Phulkas
Chatpati Subzi
Subzi Jaipuri
In the evening the Manager made arrangements for us to visit the Thungabhadra dam. The panoramic view from the top of the viewing station was beautiful.
Sunset over Tungabhadra Lake
At dusk we sat outside near the pool for a short while. Two young men were walking around with an incense burner in front of every room. The mild perfume of the incense filled the air. When asked, they told us that it was to get rid of mosquitoes – what an eco-friendly way to eliminate mosquitos without any harsh chemicals. At dinner we requested for a simple fare and the chef obliged. The general manager came by to visit for a little while. He showed us that the walls of the restaurant were made of natural materials like sugarcane wood and coconut shells.
Next morning after breakfast we left for Bangalore. The cheerful staff and the drummer were there to see us off. A smiling waiter form the restaurant came out and offered me a small packet- it was the scented south Indian supari that I had enjoyed after my dinners. What a thoughtful gesture. Every time I taste these little morsels, I am reminded of the wonderful time I had at the hotel.
We stayed at the Royal Orchid Kireeti for two nights only; I wish it was longer. I did not expect to find such a great hotel in a small central Karnataka town like Hospet. When you enter the hotel it is as though you were entering the oasis of quiet and comfort. Manager Mr. Dhanraj Singh and his entire team made our stay a very pleasant and memorable experience. Without a doubt I would recommend this place to anyone traveling to the Hampi.
Back to Royal Orchid Bangalore
Tired and exhausted after a two day trip we returned to the Royal Orchid Bangalore in the evening.
It was good to see the smiling faces of the hotel staff. We had a relaxing early dinner at the Limelight. The food was excellent and the service perfect. Next morning the hotel car took us to the airport. Again we were met by the hotel representative at the airport. He was a great help when checking in and he accompanied us all the way up to security check. This was one the most pleasant hotel stays in India for us.
