Hampi Diary

The standout uniqueness of the ruins of Hampi, apart from the geographical location, is one struggles to find the ruins of a fort. This might be that the ruins of fort could not be identified in plenty. But the more likeliness is that the Vijaynagar kings believed in building temples instead of multiple palaces which gave them a higher stature in the minds of the subjects....quite a contrast to what we see anywhere in India like Mysore, Pune, Rajasthan, Gwalior, Agra-Delhi.

                                        

Amidst the city of ruins, precisely temple ruins, here I find the ruins of a fort, with a mosque within the fort walls. The fort does not exist but a large number of the footprints or foundations exist. Some steps are available too. Imagine it to be the palace, treasury, admin building, king's leisure palace...whatever...this huge barren ruin of fort mirrors the weakness of human strength against the Test of Time.

Among the historical past of India I have not yet seen Murshidabad. I dearly wish but don't know whether partition torn Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa can be visited. Hampi gives me a gut feeling...this empire, rather civilization, is much in the mould of M&H. Yes Hampi, the Vijaynagar kingdom, should be called as a civilization. It tells a story, a sad story, about the people who were perhaps happy and content in their way of life...but torn apart by politics.

                                                   

Water seems to be a scarcity in the area, so many Pushkarini, stepped well, with a mandapa or temple at the center, half submerged in water. Perhaps they felt shortage of water supply was due to God's wrath, hence the God worship in the well itself

Amidst this vast barren ruins, what is assumed to be palace area, hardly anything stands. Quite an irony that the adjacent temples stand, but not the palaces. May be the bldgs were not strong enough or rather too much grandeur was visible which attracted invasion and destruction followed.

Wish all these ruins could be graphically created, it would have been an excellent achievement. But authentic depiction of such colossal civilization would require in-depth Historical knowledge besides the technical abilities. Hope some day we come up with such an idea, a documentary with proper visual interpretation...far gripping than those fancy glamour biz shows in the name of periodic movie.

                                    

The distant bell sound at Krishna Mandir, don't know from where, was special. For a moment, unable to identify the source, I thought I am loosing myself after day long walk...or I am attaining Nirvana..ha ha...so I quickly jumped to my quota of afternoon biscuits and water....the sound was still there...hope it was a real one.

As I sit on the rocks near Hemkuta group of temples for the sunset...I see more and more people coming to have a glimpse, a click at the sun. The Sun the most important thing which has helped sustainable life on the planet.

                                     

The sun sets everyday, but today it seems it's reflecting the end of perhaps the glorious time of Vijaynagar....the Sun does set...no matter we like it or not.

The last walks through the ruins...I start from the point where I started my journey.....my journey of Hampi. I stand at the center of the point....and I cannot but keep repeating the same words...

                               

"Maharaj ei ki saje ele hridoy puro majhe, charono tole koti soshi surjyo more laaje". As I look around the relics I quote the poet again "Garbo sabo tutiya murchhi pore lutiya, sakolo mamo deho mono Bina samo baje". I shall miss the ruins, the  beauty and spirituality what they symbolize. I am glad that I came here alone...not to share or discuss the impact...the longer I stay deeper the feeling grows. I shall hereafter remember the very 1st moment which has ignited this journey.

Which is greater....Nature OR Human creation in the heart of Nature....the power of nature/time which results in the destruction of this materialistic achievements into ruins OR the repeated attempt of human mind to try and build everlasting mementos...God OR the concept that God/Superpower exists....can this be isolated ?

"Eki puloko bedona bohichhe madhubaye , kanone jato pushpo chilo bilino tobo paye. Poloko nahi nayone, heri na kichu bhubane Nirikhi sudhu antare sundar biraje "                                       

                                           

Hampi continues to amaze me till the last moment. As I was waiting for the local KSRTC bus to Hospate, I met this old man...looked like an old localite. He was waiting for the same bus too. The Karnataki man has been in Hampi for last 6yrs. Don't judge by looks/dressing...a very polite decent man, well informed man....he spoke with dignity. He worked for ONGC, I did not ask in what responsibility...as it might sound arrogant. He left his job when he was transferred to Surat. Now he stays in Virupaksha Temple...doing social service....sounded like he has left normal life in search of something. We sat at the last corner seats...chatted at times in the 30-35 min journey. According to him Hampi has around 3643 temples, which might be true if you search months in the ruins. He thinks the Hampi Utsav might not happen this year owing to the 4yr long drought in Hampi.  He reached 8-15 PM in Hospate and will take the last bus at 9-35 PM. I bade farewell to him and thanked him for his contribution in my journey.

"No matter what they tell us"

Questions throng my head as I recently started thinking about this...the new age happening term...empowerment. 

What is empowerment? Is it the reflection/ acceptance of being acknowledged by others as achievers?

Why is suddenly this rush of getting empowered, specially women empowerment? Is this the new game of corporate world ? What is so special about today's empowerment? With increasing news flashes of #Me too# are we treading the right path ?

                                    Picture Courtesy : https://www.pexels.com 

Sometimes I wonder if I am empowered enough to live in a world where I don't have anyone around to speak, meet, greet, feel or share. Am I good enough to do my farming myself for the daily diets or able to hunt down animals for my quota of animal protein. If I am unable to do so am I good enough to continue living. Darwin's survival theory says I can live as I know the trick or rather I am empowered to buy and directly or indirectly support animal farming for my meat quota.

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Of late I have started wondering which is inhuman, raping or molesting a woman, killing human beings for personal interest or supporting animal farming to satisfy taste buds in the name of food delicacy. In a society where Rakshas are looked upon as Man Eaters where do I, or people like me fit in. Even after all this battle in the mind am I ready to leave a meatless life. Am I really empowered in the mind to leave happily quitting a normal day diet. Is it not my failure to find my power in another's demise.

Will there be a day when we start farming kids to meet our greed ? Are we not doing it already? Only the mode is different. We tell them to do stuff and run after something which we do not understand or  rather we are not empowered enough to estimate a possible future. But we keep encouraging the run towards that Untouchable for Social Glory, Status, Pseudo Empowerment.

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Nature has created this world in such a way that everything has a complimentary partner. We tend to replicate this in our life like the daily used electrical plug points..the male-female concept. In the animal world, rather male dominated world the M feels that it is because of Him life can start. Correct. But is it not only a small part of the big job, the bigger job is to complete the process of bringing that life to the world. So, should M decide whether W should be empowered or not or should it be the otherway? If we look at M & W they are almost mirror image about the base...also when superimposed suggests the perfect interweaving.

To me it seems idiotic when someone decides others eligibility to learn something. Knowledge is for all. Knowledge is empowerment and no one has the right to select that for someone else.

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The tragedy is as we say the Urban society is moving towards a more balanced power system, sometimes forcibly by quota system, W is time and again making the mistake of trying to prove that they are among the equals or better. The One who has been blessed with the power of Bringing Life to this World is trying to prove supremacy...what a mockery/insult of nature. Is it the only real power W has, nothing else? This question when comes to W's mind is self-derogatory. Is there anything more powerful than being able to bring and continue Life.? It's this mis-planted doubt and greed for pseudo power which is leading to increasing misuse of norms used to benefit all.

Everyone has different roles to run a system. The same applies to Life System also... there is no special one...it's a complimentary requirement..the zeal to earn supremacy destroys the total fabric of Empowerment, the real one.

                                

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People fear living alone, rather it may be said that they doubt being empowered enough to live a Single's life. So, to compensate this they get married. Ask any Indian man, in private, he prefers to stay at office longer than spending time with his family at home. Be it work/project requirement or not. This has promoted a culture where staying back late has become a parameter for performance. Women started falling short on that, as to them family was more important. Now with changing times and terms like equal opportunity, empowerment is provoking them to stay back and we are falling short on Empowered Society. Mind it the work culture of the West is different more balanced, men or women go home after scheduled time. In India because of Men staying back women feel 'need to stay' to build a career. Currently more than building a career the scenario it is saving the skin against recession.