The antiquity of Hampi can be traced to the Treta Yuga, the second of the four yugas or eons of Indian chronology. In the Ramayana, an Indian epic narrating the deeds and adventures of Rama, Hampi and its surrounding areas are identified with the kingdom of Kishkindha. This region was the realm of the Vanara (mythological half-man, half-monkey) brothers Vali and Sugriva and the birthplace of Hanuman, all of whom played a prominent role in the epic.

Travel back in time to the glorious days of the 14th century Vijayanagara Empire. Let the stone monuments at Hampi tell you the story of what was once described as “the best provided city in the world”.

This month we bring to you Hampi, Karnataka , as the destination of the month!

Look forward to receiving your views and feedback on our efforts to update you with the latest from India.

Golden Sarovar Portico opens in Amritsar
Sarovar Hotels announced the opening of Golden Sarovar Portico Amritsar. Situated in the hub of the city and just 10 minutes away from the Golden Temple, Golden Sarovar Portico, Amritsar is set to offer the best of services and facilities. Accommodation facilities categorised into Superior Rooms, Executive Rooms, Deluxe Suites and Presidential Suite ensure guests a delightful stay. Featuring elegant rooms with all modern amenities, the hotel is suitable for business travellers as well as tourists and pilgrims who travel to the city for visiting Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh. Golden Sarovar Portico, Amritsar offers all modern facilities including restaurant, bar, banquet hall, meeting room, fitness room and other amenities at par with international standards.

Ibiza The Fern Resort & Spa opens in Kolkata
Concept Hospitality has opened a 110-key property in Kolkata called The Fern Hotels & Resorts. Spread across 20 acres of landscape, the resort offers a host of activities such as rock climbing, rappelling, shooting and paddling. It offers rooms in five different categories. The property also has one of the largest banqueting facilities both indoors as well as outdoors. The indoor space is spread over 5,000 sq ft and is ideal for big conferences and cocktail dinners.

WelcomHeritage adds new property in Amritsar
WelcomHeritage has launched its first farm-stay property, Ranjitvilas in Amritsar. The property has been developed and approved by the Punjab Heritage & Tourism Promotion Board under its Farm Tourism Scheme. Sunil Gupta, CEO, WelcomHeritage shared, “Ranjitvilas is a boutique property and true reflection of Indian hospitality and inheritance. bringing the perfect amalgamation of rustic feel of India with Indian hospitality values and rich heritage of the country.” The property features 20 exquisitely designed executive rooms each with a personal courtyard and two suite rooms. All rooms and suites are equipped with mini bar, LED television, temperature control, satellite channels, in-room tea and coffee maker, safe box and Wi-Fi broadband connectivity. The farmhouse boasts of handcrafted furnishings inspired by the traditions of Indian culture.

Westin debuts in Kolkata with 314-key hotel
Westin Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott International, opened The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat, its eighth hotel in India. The property, featuring 314 guestrooms and suites, is located eight kilometres away from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.
The hotel features over 50,000 sq ft of flexible function spaces, ideal for meeting, conferences, corporate events and weddings. From large-scale events in the ballroom to smaller gatherings in one of the function rooms with state-of-the-art facilities, the professional conference and banquet team will make sure every detail is taken care of. The hotel boasts of a helipad to provide easy VIP accessibility.

218-room Indore Marriott Hotel opens doors
Marriott International has added another property to its portfolio in Indore with the opening of the 218-room Indore Marriott Hotel. Facilities at the hotel include recreational facilities such as the renowned Quan Spa with 5600 sqft of space offering a blend of modern and traditional therapies. The hotel also boasts of an outdoor swimming pool and a fully equipped, state-of-the-art fitness centre. Indore Marriott Hotel is the largest in the state in terms of rooms and meeting space – which covers 55,000 sqft of meeting and banqueting space. The property is located a few minutes away from the airport.

342-room Novotel & Ibis OMR Chennai opens doors
AccorHotels has announced the opening of the Novotel and Ibis OMR Chennai. Being termed as the first combo property in Chennai, the hotel has the advantage of being strategically located in the centre of the IT Expressway (OMR). The 342 (combined) rooms property is AccorHotels first joint development in the city. Featuring midscale and economy brand under the same complex, the 153- room Novotel and 189-room Ibis Chennai OMR offers travellers a choice of offerings across different price points.


 

67.3% growth in foreign arrivals on eTV in Oct ’17 y-o-y
During the month of October, 2017, a total of 1.76 lakh foreign tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 1.05 lakh during the month of October, 2016 registering a growth of 67.3 per cent. During January- October 2017, a total of 12.43 lakh foreign tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 7.81 lakh during January- October 2016, registering a growth of 59.2 per cent. The percentage share of top 15 source countries availing e- Tourist Visa facilities during October, 2017 was as follows: UK (18.2%), USA (9.7%), France (6.3%), Germany (6.0%), Australia (4.3%), Russian Federation (4.1%), Canada (3.9%), Thailand (3.7%), China (3.7%), Korea (Rep.of) (2.6%), Spain (2.3%), Oman (2.2%), Italy (2.2%), Netherlands (1.9%) and Malaysia (1.6%). The percentage share of top 15 ports in foreign tourist arrivals on e-Tourist Visa during October 2017 was as follows: New Delhi Airport (53.0%), Mumbai Airport (16.6%), Bengaluru Airport (5.5%), Chennai Airport (5.3%), Dabolim (Goa) Airport (4.5%), Kochi Airport (3.5%), Kolkata Airport (2.5%), Hyderabad Airport (2.4%), Amritsar Airport (2.0%), Trivandrum Airport (1.1%), Ahmadabad Airport (1.0%), Jaipur Airport (0.7%), Gaya Airport (0.6%), Calicut Airport (0.4%) and Tirchy Airport (0.4%).

 

GoAir adds 30 flights, increases frequencies
GoAir has announced new additional flights for the winter schedule, effective from November 23, 2017. The airline will operate 22 of these flights on new routes apart from increasing the frequencies by eight flights on existing routes during winters. With the new additions, GoAir would operate an average of 240 flights a day, strengthening its market presence at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolktata, Lucknow, Nagpur and Patna. It has also announced its first daily flight between Jammu and Leh.

Air Canada’s Delhi-Vancouver flight to go daily from Dec 1
Air Canada has been on an expansion spree in India. The airline will make its Delhi-Vancouver-Delhi flight a daily service from December 1. It’s four times a week currently and will go daily from December 1, 2017.

Brussels Airlines increases flight frequency to Mumbai
After opening a direct flight connection between Brussels and Mumbai last March, Brussels Airlines has welcomed over 60,000 travelers on its flights. The airline now increases its flight offer from 5 to 6 weekly flights during the winter season, offering more flexibility and choice. This week, Brussels Airlines participates to the Belgian Royal State Visit to India and partners up with other Belgian organizations to organise a dance event at the Gateway of India. On March 30, Brussels Airlines inaugurated its direct flights between Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji airport and Brussels Aiport and has since seen its results on the route growing more and more. After a positive 7-month period with an average seat load factor of almost 80%, the airline has decided to invest even more in the route, by adding an extra flight on Saturday, bringing the total to 6 flights per week and additional flight frequency.

KLM’s Mumbai-Amsterdam resumes service after 16 years
In a move to enhance air connectivity, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) welcomed Dutch Carrier, KLM’s Mumbai and Amsterdam services on October 30. The airline will be operating 294-seater Boeing 787-9 aircraft with 30 World Business Class, 45 Economy Comfort Class And 219 Economy Class. The flights will operate thrice a week. Earlier, Mumbai-Amsterdam route was served with daily services offered by Jet Airways. Along with KLM, the route will be served with a total of ten services per week.

Finnair to open new route to Goa from Nov 1
Finnair is poised to enter the largest expansion in its history during the upcoming winter season with new routes opening to 20 intercontinental destinations including India, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Lapland. Finnair is opening new routes to Goa from November 1, 2017; to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on November 5; to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic on November 30 and to Havana, Cuba on December 1.

Jet starts third non-stop daily between Mumbai-London
Jet Airways is all set to commence its third daily non-stop service between Mumbai and London Heathrow with effect from the forthcoming weekend. This makes Jet the only Indian airline to operate thrice daily services between Mumbai and London Heathrow – one of the world’s busiest airports. The latest frequency to London Heathrow – 9W 116, will depart on Sunday, October 29, 2017, from Mumbai on board Jet Airways’ Boeing 777-300 ER. The addition of the third flight from Mumbai to London Heathrow complements the airline’s existing operations to the English capital from its hubs in Mumbai and Delhi, aboard its flagship B777-300 ER aircraft.
 

Hampi

Myths & Legends from the Ramayana
After the abduction of Sita by Ravana, Rama and his brother Lakshmana arrive in Kishkindha in search of Sita. During their wanderings they meet up with Hanuman at Rishimukha hill. Hanuman explains to them the state of affairs in the kingdom stressing upon the rivalry between King Vali and his estranged brother Sugriva. Rama expresses a desire to meet with Sugriva to hear his side of the story. Hanuman accordingly arranges a meeting between them.
During the course of their conversation, Sugriva informs Rama that he had seen Ravana transport Sita through the air in the Pushpaka Vimana. He also shows Rama some Jewellery that Sita had dropped during the flight, which he had found and hidden away. On seeing the jewels, Rama confirmed that it was indeed Sita’s, and decided to help Sugriva overthrow his brother Vali in exchange for his support in rescuing Sita.

Legends

Pampa to Hampi…
Goddess Pampa, daughter of Lord Brahma, was once performing penance on top of the Hemakuta Hill. Kamadeva – the God of love, observed her and Lord Shiva who was in meditation nearby and schemed to bring both of them together. Shiva was furious at being disturbed and opened his third eye in wrath, reducing Kama to ashes. However, Kama’s ploy worked. Shiva, pleased with Pampa’s devotion, eventually marries her. From this time on, Pampa came to be identified with Parvati, Shiva’s consort, while Lord Shiva himself began to be called Pampapati or Pampa’s lord. Hampi, a derivation from goddess Pampa, was also known as Pampakshetra.

Hare and the Hound!
Local legend has it that Harihara I and Bukka I, two local chieftains from the Anegundi region were on a hunting expedition in the nearby hills. They sighted a large hare and set their hunting dogs on the animal. However, the hare picked up its courage and turned around and started chasing the hunting dogs. On their return, they reported this incident to their guru, Vidyaranya, who went back with them to the place of the incident. The guru informed them that the place was sacred, and advised them to establish the capital of their new kingdom there. The seed of an empire was sown. Over the next 200 plus years (1336 AD – 1565 AD), Hampi was the capital for the four dynasties that ruled the Vijayanagara Empire.

History
The discovery of stone artefacts, pottery shards and rock paintings indicate that Hampi has been inhabited since pre-historic times.
The Hampi region’s historical antiquity can be pushed back to the Mauryan period (322BCE – 182 BCE) as evidenced by the rocks edicts of King Asoka discovered in the area. The presence of inscribed Buddhist panels, comparable to that of the Amravati School belonging to the 1st and 2nd centuries CE from the time of the Satavahanas (271 BCE- 220CE), give us some more definitive clues of its pre Vijaynagara history.

Many dynasties ruled over this region, the most prominent among them being the Chalukyas of Badami (5 – 6 th century), the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta (7 – 8 th century), the Chalukyas of Kalyana (9 – 11 th century), the Hoysalas of Belur and Halebidu (11 – 13 th century) and the Yadavas of Devagiri (13 th century).
Towards the late 13th century and the beginning of the 14th century, the area was invaded by the Delhi Sultanate who were, however, unable to retain the area for long. This led to a ‘power vacuum’ into which slipped two brothers – Harihara I and Bukka I – who seeded the Vijayanagara Empire that ruled the area with Hampi as its capital.
Three major dynasties ruled over the Vijayanagara Empire: Sangama (1336 – 1485), Saluva (1485 – 1505) and Tuluva (1505 – 1570).
The most famous kings of this vast empire were Devaraya II and Krishna Devaraya of the Tuluva dynasty. The reign of Krishna Devaraya is known as the golden period of the Vijaynagara Empire and is chronicled in great detail.

Domingo Paes, a Portuguese horse trader, who visited Hampi during its prime wrote “The size of this city I do not write here, because it cannot all be seen from any one spot, but I climbed a hill whence I could see a great part of it. I could not see it all because it lies between several ranges of hills. What I saw from thence seemed to me as large as Rome, and very beautiful to the sight; there are many groves of trees within it, in the gardens of the houses, and many conduits of water which flow into the midst of it, and in places there are lakes and the king has close to his palace a palm-grove and other rich fruit-bearing trees. Below the Moorish quarter is a little river, and on this side are many orchards and gardens with many fruit-trees, for the most part mangoes and areca-palms and jack-trees, and also many lime and orange trees, growing so closely one to another that it appears like a thick forest; and there are also white grapes. All the water which is in the city comes from the two tanks of which I have spoken, outside the first enclosing wall.”

Geography
The landscape in & around Hampi falls under Eastern Dharwar craton which is believed to be 3.4 to 2.0 billion years old and highlights the major early pre Cambrian events in the craton. It consists of granite & greenstone terrain – One of the oldest exposed surfaces on earth.
Due to continuous erosion, at first underground, and later by exposure to sun, wind & rain, the surface of the monoliths cracked, split and eventually weathered into spherical shapes creating rounded and detached boulders, some perched in precarious positions giving the impression that they are about to roll over while some have devolved into random shapes and forms of sculptural merit!

Flora & Fauna
The district is characterized by dry deciduous scrub and southern thorn forests. Apart from them other animals found in these areas include leopards, wild boars, jackals, hyenas, porcupines, star tortoises, pangolins, mongooses and monitor lizards.
There are around 230 species of birds recorded in the area with the Grey Francolin, Barred Buttonquail, Common Kestrel and White – throated Kingfisher, being among the most commonly sighted ones.
The boulder strewn landscape is crisscrossed by small streams and irrigation canals where historically mangoes, areca- palms, jackfruit, lime and orange trees were cultivated. Today one can find rice fields, banana farms and sugarcane fields here. These splashes of cultivation add to the surreal feel of the landscape.

The Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) is a nocturnal insectivorous bear species found in the Indian Subcontinent. Sloth bears feed on termites, relying on their sense of smell to locate prey. They use their sickle-shaped claws to reach the termites and suck them up through their muzzle. They have a distinctive white colored V shaped mark on their chest that contrasts with their black fur. Hampi’s surroundings is prime habitat for the Sloth Bear.

People
Hampi is a world heritage site and not a living city anymore. The towns close to it are Hospete, Kamalapura, Anegundi and Ballari – which is also the district Hampi is in. Many communities living here have had historical ties with the region while many have arrived here over time in search of livelihoods.

Gypsy Queens
Hampi region is also home to the Lambanis, a gypsy tribe, now living in settlements called Tandas. Said to hail from Rajasthan, the Lambani women are indeed a colourful lot. Their intricately designed and crafted dresses with an emphasis on mirror-work are created for them by specialist tailors. Decked up and decorated with heavy anklets, large nose-rings, braided hair, colourful necklaces and trademark jewelry, they stand out in Hampi’s rugged landscape. Adding to this, the tattoos on their arms, ankles, legs, and interestingly on their foreheads, are created using traditional tools on reaching marriageable age.