FilmIndia (May-Dec 1938)

FILM INDIA September 1938 of the Nagas is the principal deity of the shrine 3nd being Hindus we eagerly went towards the great portals of the temple— just too late to get a darshan. We strolled along Car Street towards Hemakuta Hill and looked back on that often photographed scene of Hampi— the Pampapati temple, the Car Street and the slope of the rising mound. Behind us Hampi's great street, to our left the Tungabhadra River, ahead of us more than two miles of the ruins; according to our guide book the route along the bank of the river was the easiest to take. The water level was pretty high and some of the ruins were practically submerged. The Tungabhadra, it struck me, must have served as a great natural moat to Glorious Vijaynagar. Twenty minutes walking and we came to what to-day is known as the Kings Balance, where the Rajas of Vijaynagar weighed themselves against gold and precious stones and distributed such treasures amongst the Brahmins and the poor. From the Kings Balance our task was easier and we located the ruins of rocks where rishis once lived, the cave where Sugriva hid Sita's jewels and the reck which is marked where Sita's garment dropped while she was being abducted by Ravana. Such is Hampi' its relics go back to mythological eras, its ruins spell history — its temples to this day are sacred and attract numberless pilgrims from everywhere in India. Our last monument for the day was Soolai Bazaar. Evening was coming to a close as we hurried through the long rows of pillars that once formed the supports of the great market of Vijayanagar's Crowning the Summit capital city. Up a slight ascent and we were on the summit of Hemakuta Hill from where, in the Deccan twilight, we could see the car street again. Our second night in Hampi passed without much excitement, except for a scream from one of my assistants, while he was strolling in the compound of the dak bungalow after dinner. He just missed stepping on a huge black cobra. "No need to worry. They never come inside the bungalow." our cook said to us. Sleep was a blessing. Shree Vittala's Temple and one or two other shrines formed the second day's programme. Rampant with ruins that include an entire chariot cut from solid stone and myriads of pillars with carvings on them of unusual beauty — Vittala's Temple took over live of Malayavanta Hills hours of our time. Surrounding its compound wall are several minor ruins which we strolled through and finally got into the tonga to return to the dak bungalow. At the base of a hill our tongawallah stopped and pointed out to us the temple of Malayavanta Ragunatha, crowning the summit. Ton minutes later, a sadhu at the portals of ths temple stopped us and requested us to remove our shoes. He took us behind the temple and showed us a small shrine cleft in a huge boulder. Alongside of it was a flowing stream. "Lakshmana was thirsty one day and with his divine arrow, he cleft this rock and water poured forth," the sadhu said in Hindi. It is claimed by scholars that Hampi is probably the region where Rama spent a great deal of his exile. Perhaps there is something in the story the sadhu told us. As we descended the hill it was late evening. From the road we could see the Jain Temples in the far distance and Matanga Hill enveloped in mist. Almost at the gate of the bungalow, we looked back. In the dull twilight everything faded out: "We must come back to Hampi and make a documentary," we all agreed. Jain Temples 42