Hampi

I do not quite remember the source of this discussion, but I seem to remember somebody, probably an Indian film director, characterizing great art as something that manifests itself bodily upon its viewership/audience.

While the merit of such a definition is rather open to debate, the sight of the Vitthala temple by the setting sun produced a veritable lump in my throat - a second time in as many visits.

The paltry town of Hampi is scattered with magnificent sculptures, a young Tungabhadra swaying around rocky hillocks, & lush spreads of foliage on the southern side. You can stay & eat cheap, & if you back your legs, your travel expenses are limited.

The Lakshmi-Narsimha temple, the Virupaksha temple, the lotus Mahal in the Zenana enclosure, the sinuous adolescent river, the crimson sun atop the Matunga - each of these splendours merit a visit on their own.

However, the Vitthala temple gives palpability to our most delectable sense of beauty; the one edifice that at once speaks to us of the most ambitious architecture & the most sublime poetry.