A Forgotten Capital
WHAT IS TODAY earmarked as an ancient village in Karnataka was once twice the size of Paris and the second largest city in the world after Beijing. Hampi was the celebrated capital of the Vijayanagara empire—the traces of which can be followed across its boulder-strewn landscape. A few miles away from these ruins sits the Evolve Back Kamalapura Palace, Hampi, our base for the trip and an extension of the Vijayanagara architecture. With a gearless cycle, a jumbo tumbler, SPF50 sunscreen, and a sunshade hat, I set out to navigate the arid landscape of Hampi and unravel its many secrets, one stop at a time.
